Raven
by TheLondonTeaCozy
Summary: What if the Volturi took Renesme and raised to hate her family? With no memory of the Cullens, can Renesme survive 3 months in Forks, ordered by Aro, with only Alec at her side? WARNING: slight character bashing, ish-fluff, and language. Rating may go up.
1. Found

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I do have some claim to this story. Thanks and Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Found

My parents had given me up. I was the child they didn't want; the bump in the road they didn't need.

This is why I am so thankful for Aro and the rest of his family. They took me in during my ultimate time of need and gave me something I never had: A family that loves me.

Caius trained me with a stern and kind touch, single handedly turning me into a fierce assassin. Marcus taught me the ways of the world. He showed me the arts: literature, sciences, maths, even the more mystical arts of alchemy and magic. He unlocked my true power; my gift.

And Aro, dear Aro; he brought me up like a royal. The Volturi is royalty. He taught me how to behave in a court of splendor. I negotiate with many people and understand the workings of society. In his eyes, I am his princess.

Today, I walked with my adopted sister, Gwyn, to the throne room. We were getting our first assignment as members of the security sector. Aro had said we were going to the pacific coast of the US.

"Are you excited, Ren?" Gwyn twittered happily. She was my age, 19, and pixie-like with bob-cut white hair and cheerful maroon eyes. While I was the strong, sexy sister, weathered by many a battle, Gwyn always managed to make me smile and forget. Maybe that was her gift. She made me feel like a kid; she was happy and fun and fantastical!

"Yea, super excited, Gwyn!" I smiled, hiding my inner demon well.

My ex-family lived in the US.

"I'm ecstatic, Ren!" Gwyn squealed. "Maybe Aro will let us have a shopping spree in Los Angeles! Oooh, or maybe New York City!"

"That would be really fun. I mean this is our first trip across the pond."I said, unconvincingly. Gwyn immediately picked up on it.

"That was lackluster, even for you, Ren." She declared, "what gives?" we started walking faster as we were almost late.

"I just have some scores to settle over there," I replied, not totally lying. "scores that I'd rather not have crop up again." Gwyn stared at me, but didn't ask anymore. She understood my limits better than anyone.

"Ladies, good to see you!" Aro announced, kissing us both on the cheek. My mate, Alec joined me and grasped my hand. Gwyn's mate, a tall Greek named Rhodes, clasped her shoulders. Alec's younger sister, Jane, was already.

"Are you ready for the trip?" we all nodded. Aro smiled gleefully, "Splendid, let's get going! Wouldn't want to miss our plane, now would we?" I loved Aro; even after seeing the world change for over 2000 years, he was still so full of life and found interest in everything. Nothing ceased to amaze him.

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><p>On the private jet the Volturi owned, Gwyn and I changed into our normal garb for these missions. Gwyn pulled on a jeans skirt, brown canvas jacket and a simple black tee. I opted for skinny jeans, a light grey striped shirt, and dark brown lace-up boots. We would don our customary cloaks when we were closer to our destination.<p>

After a fuel stop in Washington D.C. We continued to the Seattle private airport. From there, we took a private car to a small city called Port Angeles.

Then we ran.

I didn't know where Aro was leading us, but it felt good to have another job. What can I say; only snapping necks and torching things gets old after the first 35 years.

"We're here friends." Aro breathed. We were on a small bluff looking in on a large, modern looking house."I imagine we will not be too welcome, but negotiations never hurt."

Then came a rush of beings through the trees, surrounding us. Aro was totally at ease, which meant that he had expected this to happen. It still put the rest of us on edge as we moved to shield our elders.

"Aro, pleasant of you to drop in again." said a professional looking man with blonde hair and a warm expression. Looking around at the rest of the people, I could tell instantly that they were all vampires; Vegetarians, too.

Pathetic.

"Good to see you to Carlisle." Aro shook the man's hand and smiled. "I trust you and Esme are keeping well?"

"Well enough, Aro." Carlisle replied, in a sad tone. Like he lost something in an airport.

"Where is our daughter, you monster?" came a cry from the group. A woman with long chocolate hair was being restrained by a man with bronze hair.

"Isabella, Edward; how are you two these days?" Marcus offered, kindly.

Isabella and Edward? I was sure I'd heard the names before... The man with the bronze hair looked up sadly at the Volturi.

"We know you took her, Aro. Where is our, Renesme?" he pleaded, almost teary. Isabella was crying into his shoulder as he looked on.

They were an image of total deprivation.

But, wait... Renesme? But, that was my name before a coming of age ceremony where I had changed it to Raven; every guard member called me Ren though. Could the sorrowful couple really be them?

I prayed they weren't.

But Aro had already planned this.

"Raven, dear, could you come here?" Caius held out a hand. Nodding, I walked briskly over to where he was.

"Lower your hood, please." I did so, shaking my long curls free. The audience before us gasped.

"Renesme, is that you?" Edward ran up to me, standing a foot or two away.

"If by that you mean, am I the daughter you abandoned all those years ago, then yes. I'm Raven Volturi, formerly Renesme." I declared defiantly.

"What have you done to her?" Edward growled towards Aro. Acting in a burst of instincts, I launched myself at my father, knocking him to the ground

"Don't touch them." I demanded I'm a low hiss.

"Renesme, would you get up off your father?" Carlisle intervened. "There are some things I think that need to be set straight." I looked hesitantly to Aro, who nodded. Cautiously, I stood and took Carlisle's hand. He led the rest of us into the home.

"Oh, lovely!" Aro grinned. "Is Esme making tea?"

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><p><strong>Author Note: Hope you enjoyed! This is a strange twist on your regular Renesme fanfiction, but I like different. And different can also mean unhappy or un-perfect endings; I've been toying with an idea, so this is an early heads up! I also like the idea of Aro acting like Johnny Depp as the Mad-Hatter (Alice in WOnderland-2010). Rate and Review!<strong>

**Carie Lea**

**p.s. For an explanation of the "name changing" ceremony; I'd pop over and take a look at Half Breed by LittleAlice2. Fair warning for you purists: this is in the Renesme/Nahuel fan-section and "In Progress". Just helping you narrow it down. I actually really like the concept, so I'm not intending to steal it. I swear!**


	2. Reveal

Chapter 2: Reveal

I sat on the Cullen's couch, held hands with Gwyn and leaned on Alec. I didn't expect this of all things, today of all days. I could have another 60-70 years without understanding my previous life.

The life I deliberately chose not to remember.

Edward and Isabella sat across from Alec and me along with the other pairs in the coven; Alice and Jasper along with Emmett and Rosalie. The Volturi were speaking with the leads, Carlisle and Esme in the kitchen while the tea steeped.

I had remembered hearing about Carlisle. He was once a member of the Volturi; for a few hundred years in fact. He had decided to explore the world outside of Italy and the Volturi let him go graciously. They weren't always so kind; Gwyn and I remembered little Marie, only 14, who hadn't a chance.

"The tea's ready." Esme said quietly, setting a service down on the table in between us and them; very precarious divides. Gwyn and Rhodes accepted, but I hung back for a bit. Over the years, I had gradually become like the rest of the Guard: quiet, unassuming, not very accepting either. Deciding that I was being silly, I poured a cup for Alec and me to share.

"Thank you, Esme. You have been most kind." Aro said, nodding slightly. I hadn't seen him so calm before. Normally he was full of enthusiasm and life-for a dead person.

"Renesme, are going to hear us out?" Edward said carefully. I'm sure he wasn't too appreciative of my tackling him, but I couldn't have let him attack Caius; Even if he was my father.

"I'd listen, Raven." Alec whispered in my ear, "You may hate them, but we're just as equally untruthful." Eyeing him warily, I relaxed into his arms and glared at Edward.

"Proceed…" I muttered, waving my hand. I listened unenthusiastically to the Cullen's story. It was quite laughable, actually. They seriously claimed that the Volturi had stolen me from them, and lied to me. This didn't surprise me much actually: The Volturi as well as the Guard basically made a career of lying. It was only surprising when we told the truth. Nonetheless, worry crept into the back of my mind when I saw that Aro wasn't denying anything. I didn't want this to be the truth. After Edward and Bella had finished their sob-story, Carlisle took over, which I was rather grateful for.

"A penny for your thoughts, dear?" he asked, the ghost of a smile on his face. All eyes were on me, even though I was staring right at Gwyn. She was having the silent equivalent of a panic attack.

"If I had a choice, I wouldn't return here." I said, calmly staring into Gwyn's eyes. She was starting to get the message that everything was going to be okay. No change, no split decisions.

"Raven, may I see you in the kitchen?" Aro asked, his look confirming that this was obligatory. I let go of Alec's hand, which I didn't recall holding to begin with, and followed Aro. I rolled my eyes at the façade they all put up; a kitchen was honestly useless to them all. Sighing, I leaned up against a pristine countertop. Aro returned my stare. "There's a reason for this visit, I must confess."

"I guessed as much…" I answered in a bored tone, crossing my arms. "May I ask of that reason?"

"We wish for you to spend time here." He replied. My mouth dropped open involuntarily. Aro watched me, amused, as I struggled to compose myself. What was he playing at; forcing me to stay here? It may sound like an option but, in my world, "wish" meant "non-negotiable".

"How long?" I managed to spit out after a few moments. I felt like I had been hit by a truck, but left alone to bleed out on the asphalt. Aro smiled serenely.

"About 3 months, nothing more." I swallowed hard and gripped the marble counter for support.

"Can I be allowed Alec?" Aro nodded, and I had already known the answer. I was urged to ask; with the Volturi, you play by the rules; even if there were no rules to begin with. I needed to ask about Gwyn and Rhodes, but knew better. Besides, I wouldn't want to make my sister miserable along with Alec and me. The two of us were basically emotionless, except for one another; I always felt that Alec's demeanor had rubbed off on me by the way Heidi talks about my first year with the coven, a year I hardly felt existed.

"Very well, Aro. I'll stay, but…" I gasped, looking like a silly, mood-dipped human girl. "But, may I ask of your reasons?" Aro placed a hand on my shoulder, looking at my face in a way unlike anything unusual. I had always seen a father in him – my father. He knew me, inside and out, better than I knew myself.

"I need you to make a choice. We cannot keep you forever, unless you choose the Guard." He spoke earnestly. "Are you capable of following through, Renesme?" My eyes grew wide in wonder; I had no recollection of being called my given name. It was amazing I even recognized it after so many years of unturned ears.

"As you wish," I replied simply, giving Aro a sad smile. He returned it before we rejoined the others. Being the center of attention isn't something I enjoy, in any respects. I didn't want the pride it entailed. However, the only person to catch my discomfort was the other tall blonde man, standing next to the girl that was Gwyn's yin-yang twin. Borderline discomfort didn't cover it, so why not say it was full blown. I dragged Alec to the front door before divulging everything Aro had told. He nodded silently before giving my hand a small squeeze. I felt my heart swell at the little gesture; Alec always knew what to do for every one of my shades.

Aro was talking to Carlisle and Edward on the opposite wall. The others milled about awkwardly, giving half-assed attempts at conversation and glancing around the room. Something to do until time was up. After all was said and done, the Volturi bade goodbye to Alec and I in the woods, away from the hovering vegetarians. Had I any tears at that moment, they would've come, streaming down my face. Gwyn gave me a crushing hug, whispering quickly all the reasons not to stay. Rhodes gave me a hand shake in typical Rhodes fashion; he was a being of few words. Even Jane gave me a solid embrace and said she would miss me, the most shocking of all. After a minute, Alec brushed her off with a simple: "We promise to write, sorella".

As we stood and watched the black cloaks disappear from the Cullen's porch, Alec slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me to his hip. I rested my head on his shoulder, biting my lip.

"Now what?" he muttered. If only I'd had an answer.

**Author Note: Hey all! I hope you're enjoying this so far. Maybe you can tell but, this is not a typical romance fanfiction. As I'm writing most of the little scenes on my iTouch, it seems more that the conflict is on the outside, totally separate from Ren and Alec's relationship. They're already committed towards one another and could care less about what the rest of the Cullen's think. I see that in them, and I hope you all get my madness! **

**And I don't think Jane is a half-bad person; I think you need to gain her trust before she warms up to you. Call me crazy; seriously, go post it in the Reviews. I am not kidding!**

**Thanks so much everyone!**

**Carie Lea**


	3. A Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight; only Gwyn, Rhodes, and all that goes on here. **

**Author Note: I know this isn't true to the real story, only the spirit of it. Please don't eat me, yet.**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 3: A Home?<span>

It had only been a few minutes before Gwyn's "twin" pounced on the two of us.

"Well, we're so happy to have you two here!" She exclaimed. I could only compare her to a squirrel on Red Bull, but that would be an understatement. "Just as I refresher, I'm Alice. Let me grab some sheets and I'll take you all up to your room."

Alice; I'd have to remember that.

She was quite the sight, that Alice. Instead of walking at human pace like Alec and I, Alice went ahead and skipped up two the third floor of the house. The real kicker was when she leaned over the banister and shouted for us to hurry it up. I scoffed at her, but Alec shot me a look I'd never seen him use. It said "Loosen up a bit, okay".

The room wasn't anything spectacular; not that I had high expectations. However, the pale purple walls grey bed-set and black furniture made me wish for my room back in Volterra. Alice set down the sheets on the bed before giving a small wave and skipping back out. I was mentally exhausted and went to lie down on the bed, half-closing my eyes to the glare of the lights.

After a few minutes, I stood up and began to peel the linens apart. I felt Alec come up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Do you want help, love?" He asked, pressing his lips to my cheek. I gave a look that said "what do you think?" Smiling slightly, he walked over to the other side, picking up the first sheet. We worked quickly and silently, nothing extraordinary, our hands only touching briefly. Being who I am, I started smoothing out the perfectly lain sheets. Alec just watched, stifling a few laughs.

"What's the point, Ren?" he asked softly, "It's only going to get mussed up soon enough." I paused, eyeing him strangely.

"What makes you so sure, Alec?" his face fell and he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Whenever the topic of our first time cropped up, Alec became the shy recluse he was when he first became my personal guard. 50 years was a long time to go without deep passion, but Aro made sure it remained until we married. Trust me; Jane took no pleasure in acting on those orders.

I hated seeing him upset, especially at these times. He blamed himself for my scars and demons. Walking up to his frozen form, I placed a light hand on Alec's chest.

"Even though, I'd like it to stay nice for at least our first night here." Exhaling he bent over to give me a light kiss; the closest we ever really got.

"If you insist, usignolo." Alec said, giving my body a light squeeze and pulling me onto the sheets. "Do you like it here?" He asked quietly.

"Of course not," I sighed heavily, playing absent-mindedly with his hair. After a moment, I looked at him. "Actually… I'm not so sure. It's just hard to describe."

"It's just different." Alec stated. I nodded, biting my lip. "Have you decided whether it's a good different?" I stared into his eyes. They were a dark red colour, border-lining a maroon, like Gwyn. Mine where the same red-brown colour; my original deep brown distorted by years of human blood. I always managed to get lost in him, as sappy as it sounds.

"I couldn't tell you if I wanted to." I muttered, dropping my head to his chest. I heard him left out a small laugh. He started rubbing my back, like he did when I got scared during thunder storms as a kid. It was a small comfort, the memory and feeling, but a comfort nonetheless.

"Well, if you're going to get us out of here, you better get to deciding." Alec commented, his tone light. A minute passed before either of us spoke. "Tell me what's going through your head, Ren."

"The things said, downstairs," I breathed, "They were true, weren't they?" Alec closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. I sat up, crossing my legs. When he didn't answer, it suddenly hit me.

"You knew Alec; you, and Jane and Gwyn and –, "I stopped, my voice shaking. "Oh-my-God, why didn't you tell me?" I gasped. My breathing came harder and I could feel the sting of tears. Alec still didn't answer me. "Alec, are you going to answer me?" I choked out, trying hard to stay in control.

It's safe to say that, for the first time in 50 years, my emotions managed to get the better of me.

I bolted to the other side of the room, curling up on the window seat and letting the sobs come. The only sound in the room for a good ten minutes was my crying. It was embarrassing to act like that, silly even, but I couldn't stop. I felt Alec's arms around me, but I pushed him away.

"Raven, this isn't something you can divulge offhandedly!" He shouted, pain etched in his features. I grabbed my hair and tried my hardest to stop the waterfall. When I could speak, I looked up at him.

"I realize that, but you could've told me." I slurred, "You had one hundred years, Alec."

"I hate to have to ask," He spat, "What's your point, Ren?" His glare was pointed.

"My point is, you had all the time in the fucking world and you didn't give enough of a damn to take advantage of it!" The words ripped from my tongue in a sharp scream. Alec wasn't afraid of me and I knew it. He also loved me to pieces, but that didn't stop him from accidentally dropping control. Suddenly, my vision went dark, my body slack. From what I could tell, Alec had picked me up and set me on the bed.

"Renesme, I'm going to be very frank with you." Alec began in a deadly calm voice. Alec never used my real name, so if I could've gasped I would have. "When you were only a few weeks old, the Volturi came here on the intentions of killing you. You know the rules surrounding immortal children, yes? Aro and Caius believed that you were one, but agreed to hear the Cullens out before tearing you and the rest of your family apart. When we arrived, it wasn't the witnesses that stopped us in our tracks, it was you. You were so innocent, so perfect; Aro couldn't pass you up." Alec exhaled and gave me my sight back. He was hunched over, his forearms propped on his legs, staring out the window.

"The Cullens didn't give you up. I'm still not sure exactly how we ended up with you. All I remember is being on the plane and Demetri scared you, so you ran to me. My memories of you start with you falling asleep on me during the plane ride." He paused for a second, looking over at me with an unreadable expression. "We never intended to steal you away, but I never had the heart to tell you the truth. I know it seems unreasonable to you because you've always thought that way. My only justification for keeping you in half-light is simple: Come si può distruggere qualcosa che non si può fare a meno di amare?"

Then Alec stood and left the room. A minute later, I felt my body ease with the tingling feeling that comes with your foot falling asleep. I sat up on the bed and stared out the window; the sun was setting in brilliant gold, red and silver clouds. My throat tightened as the cold tears rolled slowly down my cheeks without the wracking sobs like before. I knew enough Italian to know what Alec had said to me.

_How can you destroy something you can't help but love?_

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

**Hello everyone! Sorry this update took so long; My latest project has been a PSA for a required school contest. Finally finished editing that and can get back to this mess! Hope you all are enjoying so far and please message/comment with any questions, feedback, or ideas you have for me. Also, check out my story **_**Gravity**_**. I'm going to be starting a contest on that, so stay posted!**

**Thanks so much for your instant love; it's a nice feeling :3**

**Carie Lea**


	4. Crossroads

Chapter 4: Crossroads

Alec and I had been in Forks 2 weeks now. We'd successfully avoided every member of the Cullen clan, except for Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper. They were reasonable to converse with; not obnoxiously optimistic or resentful. We appreciated they're patience and they enjoyed the fact that we talked to them. Alec and I spent one night making a list of rules to observe for our stay:

't mention anything of our lives around Isabella and Edward. Isabella is too emotional to be considered reasonable and Edward just brooded around us.

to stay on Rosalie's good side; she'll bite your head off if needed, which I respect.

talking to Emmett, leave out any talk of hunting, video games, and wrestling. This one is courtesy of Rosalie.

has an answer to everything; Esme makes immaculate coffees and teas; Trustworthy

you start feeling sick or calm when you're really angry, it's Jasper the peacekeeper. Alice lives for materials: clothes, shoes, furniture, flowers, and anything else you can think of.

talk about a certain "Jacob Black" around Isabella. Alec refuses to tell me who he is, but it certainly makes Isabella more off-kilter than normal.

There were more to come, but those worked well as a kind of survival guide.

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><p>It was Saturday and we were having a bit of a lay-in; it's not like we had to get up anyway. There was a knock on the door. Alec only smiled and gave me a small kiss on the cheek before pushing me to get up. I made a face, but got the door anyway. It was Alice, grinning for all the world at 7:23 in the morning with an armful of clothes.<p>

"Morning, Renesme!" She grinned broadly, wide-eyed. What was the vampire equivalent of caffeine and where had she gotten it?"

"I prefer Raven, but good morning, Alice." I replied stiffly, forcing a smile. "What can I do for you?" She did a strange nodding motion with her head and I decided to let her in. She even walked with an unnatural spring to her step. Piece by piece, Alice laid the clothes out on the bed. Alec had escaped to the bathroom, leaving me with my aunt and her fashion-twitch.

"I just wanted to drop some clothes off for you and Alec, Renesme." She proclaimed in a sing-song voice, straightening the outfits out. "Well, I'm going to take you two on a little adventure today! Take your time getting ready, and I'll see you downstairs!" Then she bolted from the room. I ran to the stairs and leaned half of my body over the rail.

"What kind of adventure?" I shouted. From the bottom floor, Alice looked up with a mischievous grin.

"I swear you'll enjoy it Nessie!" That was vague at best. I gritted my teeth and walked back into the bedroom, swearing under my breath. Alec was standing next to the bed, still in his pajamas, fingering the clothes Alice had left.

"You know, for something of a nuisance, Alice has incredible perception of taste." He smiled, lifting up a pair of dark jeans, a grey tee, a black canvas jacket, and a pair of canvas low-tops. Biting my lip, I examined my clothes.

"Taste in accordance to you, dear." I muttered, holding up a pale pink and white striped v-neck. Alec laughed and snatched the shirt from my hands.

"If I recall correctly, you wore pink quite a bit as a child." He smirked, dangling the offending textile in front of my nose. I glared at him, grabbing the grey skinny jeans Alice left.

"As a child, Alec," I spat, hitting him with the jeans. "Time changes and so do people, or am I quoting someone else?" Alec smirked, picking me up and dropping me on the bed, holding one of my arms down. Leaning over me, he stared me down.

"When did I ever say that, love?" He replied, knowingly. I sighed and stared at the ceiling.

"You said it on the plane coming over here. Gwyn and I overheard you." I muttered.

"That's right; I remember now." Alec smiled. "However, you have become pickier with age, but this isn't my doing." Letting go of me, he grabbed his clothes and walked to the bathroom, disappearing behind the door. I let out a frustrated breath as I looked over my clothing; I hadn't intended to plot evil things against Alice, but my thoughts were provoked. Not that I would follow through with any of it.

I slipped on the outfit, trying my best to make it look like something I would wear; adding a black scarf, grey fingerless gloves and my guard chain. I could hear Jane and Gwyn's laughter in my head as I watched my expression in the mirror. Okay, I admit that it could've been a lot worse; it could've been neon pink. I was just happy that Alice chose black flats instead of another uncomfortable colour, like purple.

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><p>Alec's idea of an adventure is sneaking out of Volturi castle. I hear adventure and think of a particularly hard kill. Alice's version of an adventure in called a "shopping spree".<p>

She had been dragging Alec and me around Port Angeles for a good 2 hours and there was no end in sight. I just held Alec's hand and bit my lip. I made a game of trying to find the least gaudy piece of clothing in every store. It was hard to find anything but tee shirts and hooded sweatshirts, but it kept me busy. At the moment, we were in a shop called CITY. What it had to do with anything in the shop was beyond me, but at least some of the apparel was decent. Alice had practically dragged me through the entire shop, picking out a million things that I would never, ever wear.

"Ooh, Renesme, you would look stunning in this." She gushed, holding up a dark blue tunic embellished with little silver sequins. I heard Alec snickering behind me, and felt my fists tighten.

"Alice," I said as she turned to something else. Her head snapped around, her eyes wide. "Would you mind if I looked around by myself? As pretty as that shirt is, it's not really my thing. Would you be offended at all?"

"Nope," She declared happily. "Enjoy yourself, Nessie!" Alice disappeared deeper into the store. I was left with Alec.

"Nessie, eh?" I heard him mutter. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"If you ever use that, I swear I will – "

"I don't plan on it, love." Alec rolled his eyes. He was using Italian, like we normally do in public. "Either way, it's nice not to have her twittering in your ear constantly." His tone was casual as he examined a dress with a scandalously short hemline suspiciously. I breezed past him into a cluster of decent looking clothes. I searched for something new, but still modest; a hard task in this era.

"Raven," I looked up. Alec was motioning me over. As I stood in front of him, he put a hanger in my hands. "Try this, would you?" I didn't look at it until I closed the dressing room door. It was a simple white dress that fell to just above my knees. It's hemline, bell-sleeves, and square neckline were all bordered with an antique-style lace; the sturdy, simple, homespun stuff. Alec had good taste, but it wasn't as if I had ignored that fact. I mean, he had been dressing himself for at least the last 1100 years.

"Alright Alec, I indulged you." I said, walking out of the room. "Now, would you be so kind as to do the same for me?" I probably looked silly with my scarf and gloves, but the way Alec was looking me over; well, I didn't feel silly in the slightest. He took my hands in his and lightly pulled me over to the mirror.

"Are you satisfied, Raven?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist. I gripped his fingers.

"I think so…" I muttered, biting my lip as I studied the dress. "How is it that you found this dress?" Alec just laughed, resting his chin on my shoulders. We stood there for a second before he turned me around.

"What do you want?" I asked, tilting my head back.

"Dance with me, love." Alec grinned, grasping my hands in his. I raised an eyebrow, but it was his turn to look ridiculous. I couldn't help but let him pull me in and twirl me around. The song was old, but that didn't ruin it. In a moment I was transported back to the first ball I ever attended.

It was the New Year's ball that the Volturi held annually, far back enough that Alec was only still my guard and I looked only ten years old. He spent the majority of the night teaching me how to waltz, but I never got the hang of it. Instead of keeping on, Alec picked me up and held me in his arms like we were dancing together. From then on, I'd always loved the balls, especially dancing with Alec. However, Gwyn and I do enjoy showing Rhodes how "splendidly" we dance together.

The two of us hadn't done anything normal since we arrived. We didn't hunt normally, run normally. We didn't hug, kiss or dance. I missed it all; dancing with the radio on, preferably music from the 1940s, and the little games we play when we're bored. I swear I hadn't seen Alec draw in weeks, which was strange.

The song ended, and so did our little dance. Alec brushed his lips against my hand.

"Get changed," He whispered so only I could hear. "I'll meet you outside." I nodded and went to change. I was leaving to find Alec when a girl with long blonde hair stopped me.

"How long have you two been together?" She asked shyly. "If you don't mind my asking…" She seemed innocent enough and I was feeling friendly, another sign of the wind changing.

"Long enough to be engaged," I lied, holding up my left hand. On it was the ring Caius got me for my 25th birthday; it was a cranberry-coloured ruby set in a simple gold band. The girl gasped and smiled broadly.

"Well, I couldn't help but think that the two of you were a match." She blushed lightly. "The way he asked you to dance out of nowhere was really adorable."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you to say." I smiled. After an awkward pause, she excused herself and I went back to tracking down Alec. He was talking with Alice, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet despite the platform heels she was sporting. As soon as I had reached them, Alice had snatched the dress from my fingers and rushed off to the register.

"So much for paying myself…" I mumbled, fingering the zipper on my wallet.

"Put it out of your mind," Alec whispered, "It just gives us more to spend elsewhere." I looked at him, not even trying to conceal my smile.

"What did you find, love?" He took a step towards me, placing his hands in his pockets, and leaned in slightly.

"When Alice was dragging us off to the second shop, I noticed a small art store." Grabbing my wrist, Alec motioned towards the door. "It's about 3 stores down." Looking over my shoulder, I spotted Alice, still looking through the racks f clothes.

"What about her?" I replied, discreetly jerking my thumb over my shoulder.

"Send her a text." Alec replied simply. Then the two of us ran out onto the street.

* * *

><p>Watching Alec go through the art supply store was like watching Alice in a clothing store. He was lost in his own little world; like the one kid who had managed to get to Candy-Land. In all honesty, it fascinated me too. Art was another one of those things that we both loved. It was an escape, and a good excuse for us to take an adventure into the woods. Alec was partial to the classic sketching, oil painting, watercolor, and charcoal. I was the modern-musical one: photography, violin, viola, and cello were my forte.<p>

"I have found the diamond in the coal mine." Alec smiled. I nodded and felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was Alice; I opened the text and was greeted with "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS?" I rolled my eyes and found Alec in the next aisle.

"I think Alice is about to have an aneurism, Alec." I watched him give me a look that said 'and what do you want to do about this?' I sighed heavily and continued. "I was going to go find her, but you're welcome to stay here."

"I choose here." He muttered, examining a box of pastels.

"Thanks for the support, love." I mused. I slipped out of the store and sent Alice a quick text. She replied, in under 2 seconds flat, saying she wanted me to meet her outside CITY. Sure enough, she was standing under the awning, tapping her foot when I arrived.

"Where've you been, Nessie?" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. Alice was a convincing human when she wanted to be. I pointed back down the sidewalk.

"There was an art store, and Alec wanted to check it out." I shrugged.

"I take it he's still there…" Alice chewed on the inside of her cheek. I nodded, "Well, we can head on." She took my hand and half-dragged me across the street and a few blocks down to yet another dress store.

_Hooray, another one…_I thought, shaking my head. Even from outside the glass doors I could tell there was so much polyester that lighting a match at the art store would set the place burning.

"Nessie, I know we've already been to a dress store today, but there's a reason we're going to this one." Alice instructed, pulling me in the shop. "Carlisle and Esme want to have a family dinner of sorts and it's going to be formal. Well…not really formal, more like fancy cocktail party dress." My first two thoughts one looking around the place was; are my retinas burning or is it all the gaudy colours? And; what shameless piece of nothing was Alice going to try to dress me in?

"I want something super simple, Alice," Popped out of my mouth before I realized.

"That's easy enough, Nessie." She declared. I had become good at controlling the undeniable rage that came with the nickname 'Nessie'. Honestly, who in their right mind thought that was an acceptable nickname?

Alice began methodically searching through the glistening rows of tight, plastic-looking, tackiness. It didn't take long before she pulled out 2 dresses for me, and 2 for her. For her, the first was sour apple green and the second was canary yellow, both in the same retro styling. For me, Alice had pulled out a light blue sundress with flowery embroidery and a white dress with muted-gold sequins.

"No and no." I said. Alice pouted and examined the dresses. "They aren't simple enough." I explained, crossing my arms.

"Not simple enough?" Alice asked, astonished. "What's your definition of simple?" I glanced around the room looking for an example. I only found one.

"This," I stated, pulling the black dress off the rack. It was plain, but elegant and classic. It reminded me of something a First Lady would wear out. "This is my definition of simple, Alice. And this time, I'm paying for it." She looked at me and shrugged.

"Alright then; I'll decide which one I'm getting in a second." Alice turned and smiled in a shy way unknown to her outgoing manner. "When you're done, why don't you go find Alec? We can leave after." I nodded and walked away to pay for the dress.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Hiya! Sorry this chapter ran so long. I got to almost done and realized I had left the entire point of the chapter out! It's cold and rainy and I think I'm starting to get sick, but fingers-crossed I'm not because cold medicine makes me act like a little kid on a Halloween sugar-high; or Bella on Percocet, if you know what I'm getting at. Thanks so much! Rate and review and enjoy!**

**Carie Lea ;3**


	5. All This Beauty

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; I only own the most important part: the plot (oh, and Gwyn and Rhodes too!)**

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><p><span>Chapter 5: All This Beauty<span>

A moment of peace was something to be savored in the Cullen household. So far, those moments had been narrowed down to sleeping, showering, and when I wanted to hunt alone. Even then I was never completely alone as Alec was always there. I didn't mind him though.

The latest activity, I'd discovered, that would keep them away from me was music. Unbeknownst to me, Alice had bought me an iPod when Alec and I were at the art store. Jasper had uploaded too many types of music to count, but everything he chose I loved.

Anyways, it was the night of the family dinner and I was putting the finishing touches on my outfit while Alec read out in the bedroom. I had the earphones on and was dancing while putting on my jewelry and shoes. It was a song called "Right as Rain". I could hear Alec laughing at me singing; not that I was bad or anything. Well, I hope!

"I've never seen you so happy, Ren." Alec smiled, holding my shoulders, but I continued to dance around him. He caught me when I less-than-gracefully tripped on one of my 4 inch heels.

"Oh that's unfair, sweetie!" I grinned, feeling more alive than I had in years; and I didn't even know why! Maybe something about a nice civilized dinner party thrilled me. If so, then I concluded I was the most boring being on the face of the Earth.

"Are we really starting with the pet names, love?" Alec asked, nuzzling my neck.

"Of course, dearest." I shrugged, pulling on a tiny ruby pendant. Jane had given it to me as a little girl as a small Christmas gift. "We have to act convincing as a couple, don't we?"

"I can do that, but only if Emmett will refrain from asking me how you are in bed." Alec sighed, leaning up against the door frame.

"Does he really do that?" I raised an eyebrow. Honestly, I wouldn't put it past Emmett. Alec didn't reply. Instead, he studied me, his eyes trailing along my form like he would a statue.

"Are you about ready?" He was starting to get impatient. I stuck out my tongue, feeling like a kid. Alec had an ability to make me feel human, but lately he made me feel giddy.

"Fine, I'm ready." I giggled "Are you happy now?"

"Very; let's take our time on the stairs though." he frowned "There's only so much I can take of Edward."

"Then why are you rushing me?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"If not me, then Alice." He replied, taking my hand.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Alice had a knack for parties and any form of entertaining. I found Alec snagging me over and over before I fell down the steps.

The dining room was dressed to the nines. The big oak table in the center of the room had no tablecloth, only intricately carved silver candle holders and gold tinted glass tumblers. No place settings; just a crystal pitcher near the head of the table.

"Glad you both could join us." Carlisle grinned. Esme stood by his side.

"You both look lovely." She said, embracing the two of us. I loved Esme; she was the mother I had so desperately searched for in Heidi. She was warm, inviting, and always had that needed smile when you couldn't muster one yourself. She was dressed in classic-looking dark green dress and grey heels with a simple strand of pearls around her neck. Carlisle looked professional in black trousers, a white button up, and a navy tie.

Rosalie and Emmett came in next; Rosalie in a dusty lavender dress and cream shoes. Emmett looked the same as Carlisle only he wore a bright green tie. Rosalie gave each of us a kiss on the cheek and Emmett ruffled our hair; he had a habit of doing that, but we ignored it.

Alice appeared alongside Jasper soon after; sporting a canary yellow dress and deep blue pumps. Jasper was tame compared to my eccentric pixie of an aunt; khakis, a pale green checked shirt, and a brown belt, no tie. Alice winked at me and Jasper briefly smiled.

Last, of course, were Edward and Isabella. They apparently had a cabin off somewhere in the woods and had to run to the main house. Isabella was fidgeting in her cerulean blue dress, and staring at her plain black flats. Edward was in a light blue Oxford button down and, khakis along with a grey tie and a black belt. He had his arm protectively wrapped around Isabella's shoulder, glaring subtly at Alec from across the room. I knew he could read my mind, but that didn't stop the instinctual flood of torture methods going through my mind.

"Why don't we all sit down?" Esme suggested a nervous lilt in her tone. The frozen room shattered as everyone nodded and sat down at their allotted spots. Alec pulled out my chair for me and held my hand under the table when he sat. I think he was trying to show up Edward, or prove something. Alice was to my left, Emmet to Alec's right, and Isabella and Edward took the head chairs; Carlisle and Esme sat directly across from Alec and I.

Carlisle stayed standing and rested his hand on the back of Esme's chair.

"Esme and I decided to have this little gathering for two reasons." He said; his voice had a paternal air, something I had missed before. "First, it's a reason to talk altogether; second, to formally welcome Alec and Renesme to the family."

"Here, here." Emmett muttered, raising an invisible glass. Carlisle grinned and let out a sigh. I'm sure that the good doctor though of Emmett as the trouble-making middle child.

"Yes, well, Esme and I just want to say that, even though you've been gone for a while," Carlisle began.

"Because a century is just a little while." Jasper smirked, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, for us it is, Jasper." Rosalie snapped, looking at me apologetically. My mission to not laugh was going down the drain; Emmett and Jasper were the unexpected partners in crime, I swear!

"As I was saying," Carlisle continued sternly, looking from the blondes to Emmett. He really looked like a father at that moment. "Raven, Alec, welcome home." He finished with a simple nod of his head. A comfortable silence settled over the room, but I stared at the table, unsure of what to say.

"Thank you, Carlisle and you as well, Esme." Alec replied, always seeming to know the words I lacked. "Ren and I are very appreciative of you and your family's hospitality and warmth." I gave him a small smile, feeling a light burn rise to my face.

Blushing: the bane of my existence.

"You're too nice, Alec! We'd do it, even if Renesme wasn't the baby of the family!" Alice gushed, winking. Then her face fell for a split second before she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oops! I mean Raven."

"I'm not too picky, Alice." I waved off her apology. "Call me what you can remember." When I said this, Emmett leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table.

"Riddle me this, Ren:" Emmett smirked, a wicked look on his face. I swallowed, wondering what he had up his sleeve. "Do you have any recognition of being called Nezzle?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Nessie, yes, but I can't say anybody's ever called me Nezzle." I snickered. "Can I ask who's brilliant idea that was?" Shyly, Isabella raised her hand.

"I thought it was a sight better sounding than Nessie, but everyone called you that." She admitted in a soft voice. "It kind of died out after about a week." The silence settled over again, but it was more uneasy this time.

"So, Alec," Edward drawled, watching us intently. "How long have you been with my daughter, exactly?" I let out a frustrated sigh, but Alec placed his hand on my knee; his version of "calm down".

"Ren and I have been together for at least 75 years," Alec answered his voice stiff with restraint. "Around that long, wouldn't you say, love?" I nodded my eyes on Edward.

I didn't appreciate his calling me his "daughter"; I was no daughter of his and he knew it damned well. I'm sure Edward and Isabella just see me as a corrupted little girl, but I see them as delusional. Would they have raised their daughter to be a cold-blooded assassin? No, of course not; Renesme Carlie Cullen was a naïve little girl with bows in her hair and flowers on her dresses. She skipped and sang and wore her heart on her sleeve. She couldn't even fathom the feeling of killing a human, simply for the fun of it.

"Then you two must be married, right?" Jasper asked. What is normally an innocent sort of question made Alec and I shift uncomfortably. Suddenly, it felt like I was in a swarm of interrogation lights.

"N-no, we aren't." I stuttered, looking at my lap. The words felt disjointed, not mine. Maybe it was because I so longed to finally be able to answer "yes" to that question.

"Then, are you engaged?" Esme relayed, more curious than fishing for a thorn to stick in Alec's side; unlike Edward. Neither of us answered. The tension in the room rose like a pre-heating oven, becoming stifling and claustrophobic.

"Essentially, you two are divulging that you've been intimate, but not as of terms of consummation?" Edward strung out the words, acting as if we didn't understand what he meant. But, we all knew what was implied:

_You took my daughter's virginity without being married?_

The tension skyrocketed again. Edward and Alec were watching each other, waiting for the next shot. Even Rosalie, usually unfazed by Edward's strange mood swings, was biting her lip in anticipation. Taking my hand in his, Alec leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.

"Yes, Edward, we were, but you can rest easy." Alec said through gritted teeth.

"Please explain to I can 'rest easy', as you so eloquently put it, Volturi?" Edward spat back, fire and hatred in his gaze. The room was about to explode with the amount of discomfort piled up all around us. I gripped Alec's fingers and shut my eyes tight, keeping the stray tears unshed.

"Aro," was all Alec said. Edward looked taken back; everyone seemed to have the question "how?" on their lips. I suddenly couldn't take it anymore.

"Aro punished it us for it, Edward." I burst out. Even Alec looked shocked, despite his understanding of my quick temper. "Aro ordered Jane to torture each of us until he saw sufficient, but made the other watch. Jane didn't want to, she begged Aro to change his mind. Obviously that didn't happen, but it's been 50 years since we've done so much as kiss! Happy, Edward? Are you pleased with yourself? Alec and I haven't brought up the ordeal in 40 years, and here you are, thinking you have the wherewithal!"

I was standing, the palms of my hands flat against the wood with my entire family staring at me. The expressions were unreadable. My breathing was irregular and loud; Alec had to pull me back into my seat, probably to prevent me from lunging at Edward's throat. If anybody had a reason to tear apart my alleged father, we would do it together.

Edward looked a bit disturbed by my outburst and Isabella appeared on the verge of tears. Everyone else was silent, deciding what to make of the account. I appreciated that, but one awkward silence can go on and this "dinner" had already had enough to last the rest of our visit.

"Why don't we all retire to the salon? It's airier in there and we could watch the sunset." Rosalie was the first to speak, albeit her words were drenched in discomfort. We all agreed without further words and moved into what can only be described as a library. The room was circular, with bay windows extending out to the west. It was painted a light grey which made it bright rather than dark. Bookshelves lined the walls around the door and there was a grand piano off to the left of the windows, situated between a painting of a ballerina and the window seat.

* * *

><p>Edward, in a moody fog, shuffled over to the piano and sat down. Isabella sat down on the bench next to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. He began playing something I knew well: Tchaikovsky's Melody in E flat, Op. 42 No. 3. I had played ad nauseam on the violin, then the viola, and finally the cello. It was flowing, calming, and one of my favorite.<p>

"Your taste in music is similar, usignolo." Alec mused, pulling me over to the windows.

"That does not make us one in the same." I scoffed, my Italian making me sound less bitter than I really was; nifty, isn't it?

"As you say, love…" He sighed, wrapping his arms around my waist. I could feel his cold breath on my neck, and leaned back into him.

"You aren't trying to entice me to another dance, are you?" I asked, my voice involuntarily low.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He chuckled, "Would you care to have this dance, Raven?" I giggled; instead of dragging me into it, Alec was going to ask me this time. He took my laughter as a yes, and began turning me. The dance wasn't nearly as elaborate as before, just a simple, swaying two-step. The music wasn't meant for dancing, but it was beautiful nonetheless. I was playing the strings part in my mind, merging the easing piano and the warm strings together. The songs switched and changed several times, but we never changed our rhythm. We stood, holding onto one another, even when the music was over.

"Look at the sky, love." Alec whispered. Resting my head on his chest, I glanced out the window. It was nothing short of spectacular; a phenom. Blues, pinks, golden-yellows, and silvers swept off across the sky like a bolt of sheer fabric with bright stars scattered around. As gorgeous as it was alone, the centerpiece was the shining moon and the fading sun high in the sky, side by side. It was a rare sight, but not even a colour Polaroid would do it justice. This was something only a memory could hold a candle to.

"It's lovely, yes?" I breathed, feeling my eyelids lower slightly.

"It's no competition, Raven." Alec replied softly. I chuckled; it was cliché, yet my bones knew he meant every syllable. I vaguely heard Alice or Rosalie whispering something, but it wasn't very important. To me, all I needed at that moment was to stand here forever with Alec playing with my hair.

"Let's go back to the room." I said, feeling like I needed to be away from the eyes. Slowly, we let go of the other. Alec strode up to Carlisle, passing along the message, getting a sharp nod as a reply. Returning to my side, he grasped my hand and we exited the silent room.

"Incredible…" was let out in a breath behind us when the door closed.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Yeah, it's done! I had to try the dialogue in this chapter, like, 20-something times to make sure the elevation and the tones all sounded correct and natural. This is why my acting class is getting a box of penguin shaped gummies and Twix bars, upon request.**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed and are satisfied with the explanation why Alec and Ren are a little cold for a rather heated relationship. Not satisfied? Spam the comment or my Inbox (if you really want to) and tell me all your reasons why (or just say "That wasn't good enough!" and leave it there). Thanks again!**

**Carie Lea**

**p.s. Here's a game for the review section: The title of this chapter is a song. Who is it by? Give me their name [and the year, if you want] and a random great song and you win a shout out in the next chapter, as in you get to write a special message to the readers! [QUICK EXAMPLE: _the answer_, The Chain - Fleetwood Mac]. Haves fun!**


	6. Dreams

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Twilight; neither do any of us...**

Chapter 6: Dreams

Throughout the second month in Forks, Alec and I had taken to running to a nearby meadow. It was there that we learned to really let go. We would run and mess around in the grasses, flowers, and forest. This particular day, it had been raining but we went anyway. Arriving back at the Cullens, we found our clothes sticking to our skin from the mist; my hair was damp and tangled as Alec pulled his fingers through it. Esme had just put the kettle on and I was anticipating the warmth of a steaming tea cup.

That's when I started sneezing. At first, it was sporadic and light but it soon dipped into uncontrollability. Alec stared at me, wide-eyed as it subsided, mouthing "are you alright?" to me. I nodded, giving him a small smile.

I leaned back into him, sighing as he played with my hair some more. Again, a perfect moment was ruined by my weird human aspects. This time it was coughing; dry, scraping gasps that were reminiscent of severe thirst. They didn't stop for a good bit too.

"Ren, are you sure you're alright?" Alec asked, worry lacing his steady tone.

"I-don't-know." I managed through coughs. I had my hands clasped over my mouth as my chest heaved and hurt. Pulling me close, Alec placed a cool hand against my forehead. He frowned, but I held his hand to my skin. It felt good, even uncharacteristically cold. I had become immune to his temperature long ago. I felt my eyelids get heavy as Alec picked up my body. Something clicked in my mind and I suddenly became little me; wrapping my legs around his torso and burying my nose in his thick hair.

"Alec, what's going on?" I heard Isabella's quivering voice, but didn't look up. I felt Alec wave Isabella off.

"Ren's just feeling a little under the weather." he replied calmly. "She'll live, but I'm sure she wants some rest."

"Would you like me to bring up the tea when it's finished, dear?" this was Esme.

"That would be lovely, Esme; thank you." after the small exchange, Alec carried me up to our room and laid me on the bed. I closed my eyes and let him do what he wanted. First came off my boots; then my jacket; last, my sweater. The sensation of Alec lifting my body from the sheets and lightly letting it go was relaxing beyond explanation.

When I opened my eyes, Alec was resting next to me, watching closely. It was rare we were ever in such close proximity. I couldn't help myself as I let my lips find his. The feeling of his hands in my hair and his lips on mine was more than enough. I grabbed his shoulders, trying to tell him that I wanted more, but Alec pulled away, retreating like normal.

"Not today, usignolo." He whispered. "You need sleep."

"I don't need sleep." I pouted, snuggling into his chest like I did as a child. Alec stroked my hair, guiding his hand along my head and back. It became too hard to keep my eyes open and I felt my body relax.

"Remember when you had the flu, usignolo?" Alec whispered. "You were only 8, but still full of life. I can hear you telling me about how you didn't need me to take care of you, how I wasn't making you better."

"of course." I muttered.

"You were adorable, usignolo, even though you were coughing, sneezing, and borderline hallucinating." He laughed. "You insisted that your rabbit and bear toys were talking to you. And I still can't remember loving anything more than the sick little girl I had tucked in my arms."

"I'm not little anymore." I replied, my voice dry.

Alec chuckled. "Indeed, you're much older and much more beautiful, usignolo. That doesn't mean that I'm not holding the same girl right now."

"You're too deep for me right now." I sniffed, feeling Alec's arms tighten around me.

"Then stop talking and sleep."

"Gladly," I commented, "But only if you keep your mouth shut as well."

"Decisions, decisions," Alec muttered, wrapping his arms around me. Rolling my eyes, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>I was huddled underneath the blankets of my bed, clutching my stuffed elephant, Marmae, to my chest. Tears ran down my cheeks as another flash of light penetrated my curtains, like a thousand suns resided in my room. With the resounding boom moments later, I made up my mind and bolted into the hallway. My feet knew where they wanted me to go: Alec's room.<em>

_I stood, shifting on the balls of my bare feet, wondering whether or not I should knock. I was about to run and find Jane when the door slid open._

_ "Ren, what're you doing up?" Alec asked, crouching down to my height. "It's nearly midnight." I swallowed and stared at the floor. Letting out an amused breath, Alec scooped me up off the floor along with Marmae._

_ "Do you want to go back to your room?"He asked. I shook my head, still too scared to speak. "Then what do you propose we do then?" I chewed on the inside of my cheek and played with his neat, black tie. Slowly, I managed to look Alec in the eyes._

_ "Can I sleep in your room tonight?" I whispered. _

_ "Of course," Alec smiled, "But on one condition; you really do have to sleep." I crossed my arms, Marmae trapped in the hug._

_ "Why? We aren't doing anything special tomorrow." I pouted. I never liked sleeping, but Alec made sure I did; whether he had to implore his gift or not._

_ "If you do, then maybe there will be a bit of interest tomorrow," Alec countered, walking back into his room and placing me like a doll on the bed. "But, you won't know unless you cooperate."_

_My answer was to curl up on the comforter. Alec laid down beside me and stared at the ceiling. I could feel the fog settling over me; he knew that I wouldn't sleep unless helped along._

_ "I don't like thunder storms." I muttered as my eyelids sagged under the weight of exhaustion._

_ "I know, Renesme." Alec replied, grasping my hand._

* * *

><p>The scene changed in a swirl of colours and places.<p>

_Alec had dragged me down to the beach again today. This week had been particularly cold and cloudy, even for late fall. It was always convenient that the Volturi castle was situated on a private beach. I didn't like the cold, wet wind that was blowing sand and salt through my already tangled hair. I was dressed in skinny jeans, riding boots, and an overly-long grey sweater. I couldn't understand how Alec could just run around with his Polaroid in just jeans and a black tee._

_ "Why so shy, Ren?" Alec laughed, snapping a shot of me hugging my arms. I glared at him._

_ "Why the hell did you drag me down here today?" I huffed. He smirked and rolled his eyes. Grabbing my wrist, he ran down the beach with me stumbling behind. I ran into him when he stopped. Peering around his shoulders, I suddenly became even more confused._

_ "It's a row boat." I said, implying that "so". I looked only 13, but had the biting sarcasm of a 17 year old. I was right; it was just an old, upturned row boat. The only thing special about it was it's name painted in aquamarine paint on the white side: __Usignolo__; Nightingale._

_ "Yes, it is." Alec returned with a smug grin on his face. "Care to take a trip with me?" I shrugged and helped him flip it over. Alec gestured for me to climb in to the front. It was a weird mix of feeling perfectly stable and unstable with the small waves rolling underneath the hull. We cast off and suddenly Alec had his camera out again._

_ "What do you want me to do?" I sighed, standing up on the seat._

_ "Could you sit on the bow and stare off down the shoreline?" he asked thoughtfully. One picture, than another, and soon I was being photographed in any spontaneous pose I struck. While standing on the middle seat, a tiny waved rolled under our boat. Something so innocent made me topple onto Alec, knocking us both backwards. From the tangle of our arms and legs, Alec ended up propped against the stern with me sitting between his legs, leaning up against his chest._

_ "Give me the camera, Alec." I demanded, tilting my head back onto his shoulder. Reluctantly, he handed over his most prized possession. Swiftly, I kissed him lightly on the lips, snapping the shutter at the same time. I watched the picture develop in my hand. The picture was silly; a profile shot of me and Alec, his eyes wide with the shock of my boldness._

_ "Why'd you do that?" Alec managed to blurt out a few long moments later. I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck._

_"Because I love you," I said, shrugging it off as something simple. I waited for Alec to tell me it was inappropriate for us to be like that, because he was my personal guard. None of that came; only his lips connecting again with mine._

* * *

><p>When I woke up, Alec was stretched out next to me, my hand securely in his. I slid close to him, wrapping my arms around his torso. Draping his left arm over my waist, Alec turned and kissed me on the forehead.<p>

"Your dreams are truly beautiful." He murmured, pulling my body closer.

"Even for a royally screwed up person, such as me?" I replied, running my finger through his hair. Alec only laughed; something that I enjoyed in its rarity. There was a light knock on the door, and Alec got up to answer it. It was Edward, looking slightly deflated compared to all the other times I'd been around him.

"Renesme, Alec, I'd like to apologize for my behavior," He began, a nervous edge to his voice. "I'd never realized how much you cared for one another, or how much you looked after her, Alec. I thank you for that much." Alec nodded, and Edward turned to leave.

"How come the change in heart, Edward?" I asked, sitting cross-legged on the bed. He turned back to me, his expression child-like guilt.

"I can't help what I see, Renesme. You know this." I'd forgotten about his gift. He had seen my memories; the ones of me as a little girl, and adjusting to immortality, and professing my love. I had subconsciously proved to my father just how deep our love was. We didn't flaunt and advertise it. Alec was always there, even when all I wanted was to tear him to pieces and vice versa. It was a bittersweet love, but it is what it is, I guess.

"Thank you, Edward. I appreciate the sentiment." I finished, lifting myself from the mattress and rushing to the bathroom. As I knelt next to the bathtub, I heard to door shut and found Alec next to me in milliseconds. "I'm not sick." I reassured, but it wasn't needed.

"You thinks it's strange that he would apologize after only seeing two memories." He stated, as though reading my word-fogged mind. "You wish you had known it was this easy from the beginning."

"Why are you so good at reading me?" I asked, burrowing my head in his hair. Alec moved his hand along my spine, sending shock waves up it. I kissed his cheek and pulled away.

"After one hundred years, one tends to get good at these sorts of things." Alec smiled tenderly, brushing a few tray hairs out of my eyes. I held his hand to my cheek and caught his gaze.

_This is how it should always be…_ rang out in my thoughts. If Alec could've blushed, I swear he would've.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Another chapter done! I hope you all liked it; pleases rate/review or whatever. I appreciate all your support in this venture. This wasn't a truly pointless chapter, but I want this story to be pretty episodic and scene-oriented. I hope you get what I'm saying because it's 10:30 at night and I'm pretty sure I sound raving mad now! Thanks again!**

**Carie Lea**

**p.s. Since nobody replied to the last comment contest-y thingy, you can have this one. Again, this chapter title is a song. What song and what artist? Have fun!**

**P.s.s. Oh, and the incident with the row boat; yea, that's how Ren got her nickname!**


	7. Why Not?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, never will. [A/N: hope you enjoy!]**

Chapter 7: Why Not?

_ "Then you two must be married, right?" _

These words hung in my head one particularly rainy afternoon; the type where you can't go anywhere because there's too much water and cars aren't that efficient. I was reclining on the window seat, still reading _Alice in Wonderland_, while Alec sketched on the floor beside me. I could hardly focus for the rain hitting the window and the pounding of Jasper's words. I had a feeling Alec was thinking about it too; he had become fidgety whenever Alice brought up anything close.

"Raven, are you there?" I jumped, falling head-first back to Earth.

"Yea, I'm good, why?" I retorted, breathless. Alec paused his scribbling and looked up at me suspiciously. Nothing fazed him; it was quite incredible.

"I meant to ask you earlier…" He said, returning to his paper, "I meant to ask you if you ever thought about…" He trailed off.

"Ask me about what?" I set the book down and slid to the floor next to him. "Alec, what did you want to ask me?" I repeated, more sternly this time. He wouldn't look me in the eyes, but continued to grind the tip of the charcoal pencil in to the paper.

"How would you feel if I asked you to marry me?" Alec's head shot up abruptly, his eyes finding mine in an instant. I didn't know how to answer, which was weird. Of course, I would say yes, but he'd never asked me before.

"Where is this coming from?" I asked, mentally kicking myself because it was a stupid question. I knew damn well here it was coming from.

"I'm just curious about your reaction," He lied smoothly, an ability I have yet to fully perfect.

"Well, I'd say yes," I answered quietly. "But, I'd want to know why it's take you this long." I smirked and Alec just rolled his eyes. He hated that question; let's just say the Gwyn has a way of keeping things not far from recent memory.

"I wasn't being serious, you know." Alec said bitterly through gritted teeth. My heart sank a bit in my chest; I really had hoped he was a little serious.

"Then why crop it back up?" I spat, standing up and staring out the window, arms crossed.

"Then why think about it?" His eyes were narrowed and darkened in anger. It had been forever since I'd made Alec angry and I was getting a surprisingly, sickening thrill out of it.

"Maybe I've sunk to the level of a normal human girl, Alec." I glared at him, "Maybe you've been replaced with a love of fantasizing about my wedding." He laughed, albeit sourly.

"You wouldn't, Raven." Alec smirked, leaning over to keep eye contact with me. "You're too…well, emotionally screwed up."

"Takes one to know one, love." I sneered, patting him on the cheek before crossing to the other side of the room. In a split second, I was pressed up against the bathroom door, Alec's maroon eyes flaming. He seemed to be toying with ways of torturing me. I felt my heart rate jump to full tilt, my eyes widening and my breathing going shallow.

"It was a simple question, Raven." He whispered darkly. "But look what you had to turn it into?" Then he did something strange: Alec leaned in and gave me a light kiss on the cheek. When he pulled away, all I could do was stare.

"What was tha-?" Alec waved me off, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll ask you this and only this, Ren." Alec whispered in my ear, sending chills down my spine. "How much do you trust me? I'm questioning that, if anything, Ren." He walked away, collected his things, and left the room. He left me standing there, stunned.

Sometime later, I snapped out of my reverie. Bolting into the bathroom, I locked the door and sank to the tiled floor, sobbing. What was happening to me? This stupid "vacation" was turning me into a hot mess. I had no more control, no more strength or pride.

That night, I was sitting in the living room, flipping aimlessly through one of Alice's fashion magazines. I was wondering why anybody could stand the things; they were fake and literally smelled of death.

"Would you mind if I joined you, sweetie?" I forced back a sneer as Isabella sat down. She had come into her motherly instincts, calling me "sweetie" and "honey-pie" and passively ordering me around. I didn't answer, so Isabella sat down and watched me close the magazine.

"What do you want, Isabella?" I said in a monotone. She looked at me, her eyes wide and innocent, worry simmering lightly underneath her porcelain skin.

"I just wanted to talk with you about your thing with Alec, sweetie." She smiled, really pleased with herself. Isabella was a 1970s television mother, perfect in every way that makes you vomit in your mouth. I found it hard to believe we shared the same DNA.

"What do you mean by 'thing', Isabella?" I leaned forward, eyeing her skeptically.

"Honey, don't you see that it isn't going to last?" she replied, "I mean, Alec will have to go back to Italy at some point."

"So will I, Isabella." I snickered. "Did you have a point there?"

"You'll be staying here, Renesme." Isabella said stiffly. "I simply can't let you go back there." I stood up, placing my hands on the coffee table between us and glaring daggers at her.

"You expect me to resign from my guard position?" I hissed, feeling a fire rising in my chest. I wanted to lunge at Isabella and tear her limb from limb. "Alec is my mate, Isabella; I can't leave him."

"You are my daughter, Renesme, and you'll do as you're told." She spat, staring calmly back.

"Since when did you become my mother, Cullen?" My voice was a low growl. If one of us sprang now, it would definitely be a fight to the death.

"I let you go one time and I won't let you slip through my fingers a second time, Renesme."

"You seem awfully proud of the response, Isabella. Did you come up with it in the last 100 years; y'know, when you could've been looking for me or something?" She flinched at my words and didn't reply. "That's what I thought…" I whispered, leaving her to go hunt.

I needed to kill something; maybe it was me, but was everyone trying to aggravate me?

**Author's Note:**

**Hey y'all! Sorry it took so long to update. I couldn't come up with a way to really write this chapter. Please, feel free to tell me it sounds half-assed, because I think it does! **

**A shout-out to Crazy-Sly Angel Cullen for the idea to give Bells a scene. This wasn't "mother-daughter understanding" as you put it, dear, but I hope I got Bella's point across well-enough in that short bit. And to all of you: grab your torches and pitchforks because the marriage plot point will be coming back.**

**Hope you all have great holidays (if I don't update before the end of 2011)!**

**Carie Lea**


	8. Candles

**Disclaimer: Hey-yeah… um, I don't own Twilight, but maybe I'll find those papers in my stocking tomorrow! **

**WARNING: the end of this chapter is a bit graphic. This has been a Public Service Announcement from yours truly, Carie.**

**Author's Note: Hey y'all! Sorry the last chapter seemed a bit rushed, but I hope you enjoyed! Shout out to my buddy Mocha-Bear for the idea for the chapter! Oh, and read the end Author's Note cause I have a real-cool announcement that you'll want to read. ENJOY!**

Chapter Eight: Candles

"Raven, love" Alec whispered lightly, "You might want to fake it for a little longer. Alice has a scary-sort of surprise for you." I opened an eye and rolled over, pressing into his chest.

"I've been warned, I suppose…" I mumbled, still groggy. Alec laughed as I pulled myself from him and stood. "The faster I get up, the faster it's over…" I slurred, wading out a head rush.

"Oh, I don't think that's possible!" He choked, still laughing. I glared at him and dressed quickly in a retro blue and white polka-dot dress, metallic silver flats, and my black lace arm-warmers. I pushed Alec to get dressed and rolled my eyes when he started whining.

"Are you quite finished?" I asked loudly, leaning against the door. Alec appeared in a pair of jeans and a grey tee.

"You know what, Ren," I gave him a look as he slipped on his shoes. "Someday, like today for instance, you'll wish so desperately that you had listened to me, that you'll be on your knees, begging for me to say 'I told you so'."

"Don't hold your breath, honey." I scoffed, tugging the door open and proceeding down the steps. When I reached the bottom of the 3 flights, it was like I'd stepped into a demented parallel universe.

Needless to say, Alec was right; and he knew it too, obvious in his smug façade.

XxXxXxXxXx

"Let her breathe, Alice." Jasper laughed, prying Alice off from around my neck. I'm pretty sure my expression beat all, considering how hard Emmett was trying not to laugh. I was so glad I was half-vampire; if I wasn't, my back would have snapped like a toothpick in Alice's grip.

"Happy birthday, my little girl!" Isabella gushed, holding me out at arms' length before bringing me into a crushing embrace. I managed to escape from the rest, falling ungracefully into Edward. He just set me back upright and laughed, ruffling my hair a bit. I'd never heard him laugh, and I especially wasn't expecting it now.

"Open your presents, Ren!" Alice said excitedly, bobbing on her toes. It reminded me of Gwyn on Christmas. She always acted like children did; waking me up early, dragging us all into the guard's common room to open the presents and forced me into playing carols whilst she sang. Gwyn was the only one who had the nerve to defy my wishes and buy me birthday presents, reminding me just how old I was.

"Happy 102nd birthday, Raven," Alec whispered, appearing at my side, smirking.

"Oh, go away," I mumbled, pushing his shoulder. "You know I hate this stuff…"

"Yes, but they don't," Alec whispered, "So be at least cordial, please? For my sake?" I let out a frustrated breath and plopped down on the couch, Alec beside me. For a good long hour, Alice passed me gift after gift. They were small, thank goodness, but nothing I really needed: a watch necklace, various pieces of clothing and shoes in a multitude of colours, and some strange novels. After many half-empty thank yous, everyone sat about the living room, chatting and laughing. For whatever reason, I forgot my acid tongue and relished in acting part of the family. I think Alec did too.

"Hey, everyone, can I have a minute." Alec called, standing up. Everyone turned to face us and I caught something glimmering in Jasper's eye; something knowing. Alec stuck one of his hands in his pocket and grinned broadly, giving me a wink. Now I really wondered what he was up to.

"I'd like to thank you all once more for your hospitality and welcome to the family, especially as our time here is almost up," I never quite understood how Alec managed to always speak with such confidence, but he really was in his element that day. "Now, this is a thank you for you, Ren. Thank you for standing by me all these years and being my conscience. I know we've had our moments, plenty of them, but I know that I love you more than all else on this planet." He held out a hand, pulling me up from my seat. Looking at me in the eyes, he held my hand and my gaze.

"Ren, what do you say we finally tie the knot, darling?" Alec smirked, holding up a ring to my face. I stared at it in awe; the ring was made up of intertwined strands of bronze and inlaid with emerald gemstones. Then, my eyes fell on Alec, his expression a mix of hopeful and anticipation. I smiled.

"It's about time, isn't dear?" I replied, snatching the ring and gave Alec a firm kiss while slipping it on. "Yes, let's make it official."

I was laying on the bed reading Alice in Wonderland; another childhood favorite. Everytime I picked it up,I could hear Rhodes acting out the voices. Something about the psychedelic world in Alice's head made me long for one of my own.

I didn't need a vacation; I needed an escape.

"Love, are you alright? You seem quiet." Alec said softly, sitting down next to me. I glanced over at him and propped myself up on my elbows.

"Just peachy, thanks." I said through gritted teeth. Alec grabbed my left hand and held it up to my face.

"It because of this, isn't it?" He replied bitterly, twisting the braided bronze ring on my finger.

"Half and half," I answered nonchalantly, "I can't comprehend the reason behind your show."

"What show?" Alec exclaimed, his eyes darkening. "Do you joy believe me, Ren? Do you not want to marry me?" I began to laugh lightly, before smiling at him.

"I'm not even going to ask how you pieced that answer together!" I sighed, stifling my snickers. "Alec, realize this: I love you more than this life; more than I could possibly love anything. I jut wished you hadn't given Alice a reason to take over."

Alec's face read confusion all over. "You wish I had asked you in private?"

"Precisley." I nodded. "Alice already proceeded to turn my birthday into Mount Everest. And I don't want thy type of wedding."

"I see," Alec said thoughtfully. "Then, how about this?" still holding my hand, Alec slid the ring off my finger, the tiny embedded emeralds sparkling in the dim light. I sat up, watching him adjust his position.

"Raven Aria Volturi, formerly Renesme Carlie Cullen, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Alec declared, looking as if he wouldve been blushing if that was at all possible.

"Me; spend the rest of eternity and beyond, with you?" I raised an eyebrow, feigning sarcasm. I swear I saw a look of worry flash across Alec's expression. I bit my lip and looked into his eyes. "You make a convincing argument, sir. I would gladly go through Armageddon and the zombie apocalypse with you."

"Creative," Alec grinned, sliding the ring back in it's proper place. "I've only ever loved you, I hope you know that." his coir had turned low and husky.

"How could I doubt you?" I replied, my voice going soft. Alec smirked, pushing me onto the sheets. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close. Our lips touched and I delta the sparks flow down my spine like everytime we kiss.

Alec rolled on to his back, pulling me with him. I gasped when his cold lips hit the skin of my neck; right on the pulse point. It was dangerous, daring, but downright sexy. Alec ran his fingers down my back, toying with the hem of my shirt.

I gripped onto his hair, keeping Alec pressed to me. He scraped his teeth lightly along my neck, making me squirm under him. Leaving my neck, Alec smiled down at me, his eyes dark. I frowned at him, done with the teasing, and attacked his mouth again. Alec trailed his hand along the inside of my thigh in an aggravatingly slow manner. All my muscles tensed and my breathing turned shallow.

"Alec, please." I gasped out. I wrapped my legs around his waist, trying in vain to keep Alec as close as possible. I'd wanted him for years and that longing poured out in this moment. It felt like the first time all over again; new and exciting and liberating. I was the only person who Alec let this close, but even we couldn't be this close.

"No." He replied, pulling away. Cupping my cheek in his hand, he stared down at me. My face was creased in confusion.

"Alec," I whined, feeling the rest of my excitement flow out of me.

"Raven, not yet," Alec pleaded, kissing my cheek softly. "But, I promise, it'll come soon. I mean it, love."

I bit my lip, but intertwined my arms around his neck. I kissed his cheek and nodded, trying to hide my hurt. You would be surprised at how much this sort of thing has happened;

It was the whole reason we avoided any and all sorts of affectionate contact. The two of us always ended up being hurt in our resistance; in our fear. We were both afraid of déjà vu, of it coming back to us again. We'd always been careful, extraordinarily so, but it was official now. Couldn't we indulge?

"I'm so sick of this…" My voice cracked and the sting of tears was too much. They came in a slow trickle down my cheeks, wetting the collar of Alec's shirt. He held me to him, stroking my hair and trying to calm the heaving in my chest. It was like my heart wanted to jump ship on me.

"We're so close, darling, and temptation will have defeated us if we give in and let this one slide." Alec whispered; his voice was so very reassuring and reasonable. I gave into him, but not my desires. It was a lot easier than I thought. "Get some rest, love. Alice will pounce on you again before you know it."

"Help me," I whined, tugging him on top of me as I lay down. Alec rolled his eyes, smiling all the same. I felt him lightly kiss my cheek and the room gradually turned into a comfortable darkness.

**Author's Note:**

**Hoorah! It's finally done! I apologize it took me all until CHRISTAMS EVE to post this chapter. It's my last gift to you before I leave for a family holiday and, I think, right in time! So, tell me, dear readers: do you approve of Alec's proposal? How about them getting married: is it too clichéd or overdone, or are you waiting for something original?**

**Well, thanks for making 2011, my first year as a FanFiction author, so wonderful and memorable. I look forward to 2012 (and finishing my stories! I've gotta finish **_**Gravity, Raven, **_**and I've just started a new one that you'll see maybe sometime in the spring.). OH- I almost forgot! I've started turning **_**Raven**_** into a graphic novel. I'm almost finished with chapter 4, so you'll be getting that link next year too. It'll probably be on my profile, so stay tuned!**

**Carie Lea**


	9. Stratagem

**Disclaimer: The papers were never found….**

Chapter 9: Stratagem

"Alice, I've already told you that I don't want a bouquet." I sighed in frustration. We'd been in Alice's room all day, unsuccessfully trying to get a grip on the wedding plans. We had little to agree on at this point in the afternoon; I was exasperated and Alice just wasn't getting it.

"Why don't we come back to that later, Nessie? " my aunt smiled, oblivious to my glaring eyes.

"No, Alice. This is the 5th time that we've 'come back' to the subject today," I bit back a sneer. "I really would love to have this over and done with." Alice looked back over her notes.

"Let's just review what we've decided so far," Alice murmured, flipping through her packet of loose leaf sheets. I didn't need to go over the notes; I could practically recite them verbatim.

Alec and I would be getting married in Volterra in the beginning of December, on the private shore-front where we spent most of our time. It was supposed to be a very simple affair, at least in theory. The word "simple" seemed not to exist in my aunt's vocabulary. I wanted a gracefully casual dress, preferably strapless and flowing; no bouquet was necessary as I planned on braiding a few wildflowers throughout my hair. It was a bit of nostalgia from the days that I would take Gwyn to a meadow while hunting and show her how to weave circlets from them. No jewelry, no makeup, and definitely no sequins.

Could it really be that hard to explain?

"Okay Alice, I'm just going to cut to the chase and show you what I've decided." I said in a clipped tone. She looked confused for a moment before I held out the palm of my hand. She placed her equally small hand on mine and I started the movie.

I showed her my bridesmaids, Heidi, Gwyn, Corin, and of course, Jane, in their blue-silver gowns. I showed her the groomsmen, Felix, Demetri, Rhodes and Jasper, decked out in their best. Then, I pictured myself in my gown with the flowers in my hair and the sea breeze making my hair and dress bloom out in the most perfect way. I conjured up the congregation, sitting in their chairs in the sand, watching the basic alter, where an unfeatured officiate presided.

I gently set Alice's hand back on the desk and rose from my chair. Her eyes fluttered like she had just received a vision. Blinking, she glanced up at me softly. I smiled back, feeling regret for being so short with her earlier; if only I'd thought if this tactic right off the bat.

"That's gorgeous, Ren..." Alice breathed, picking up her pencil. "Are you sure, though? "

"A sure as anyone could ever be." I replied, walking towards the door. Nodding politely, Alice began sketching out my images on the spare loose leaf. I bid her goodbye and slipped out into the hallway.

My foot was on the first step of the staircase to the 3rd floor when I head a door open. Glancing down the corridor to my right, I saw Edward approach me. I eyed him curiously, remembering how "incredibly well" our previous encounters had gone.

"What's up, Edward?" I asked in a strained monotone. He smiled at me, his topaz eyes, identical to the rest of the Cullens, shinning merrily.

"I was wondering if I could speak to you, Raven." Edward answered in his usual cordial tone. It was the only bit about him that labeled him from another time. "It'll only be for a minute, I promise." Chewing the inside of my lip, I followed him into his room. The walls were a light blue that screamed Esme's design and lined with shelves filled to the absolute capacity with vinyl, CDs, and books of all sorts. Looking over a breif few of the titles, I gained a bit more respect for my father. Edward gestured to a couch and I sat down next to him, feeling slight discomfort ridding my chest.

"What do you want to talk about, Edward?" I forced out, trying not to sound cynical. Edward gave me a pleasant expression, but it looked very pained. Like he was seriously considering not starting it but knew it needed to be done.

"Ren, I never really got the chance to fully apologize to you-"

"You have nothing more apologize for, Edward." I blurted out. Clamping my hands over my mouth, Edward watched me with his amused eyes and chuckled a bit.

"I do, though. I haven't been very accepting of anything in your life, Ren." His eyes turned sad, but he kept on. "I just wanted to give you and Alec my blessing. Even if you've been gone for 100 years, you're still my daughter, despite whether or not you want me to be your father." I was shocked; I felt my throat get sticky with the tears threatening my eyes.

"Thank you so much, dad." Slipped out and I almost felt relieved. Edward looked just as stunned as I felt, putting a face to my mind's churning.

"I hate to press this matter further, but I need to understand exactly what happened to you and Alec." He sighed, a weighty-ness in his voice. "I saw your wedding plan when you showed Alice and it convinced me to ask you if you would show me the ordeal."

I swallowed hard, narrowly avoiding gagging. No one, not even nosey Chelsea, asked to see what had happened to us. That was probably the reason that Alec and I hadn't discussed the incident in 40 years. Well, until now.

"I must warn you, this is incredibly painful for me, but I'll show it to you." I grasped Edward's out-stretched fingers and dug back into my memories.

• • • •

Alec and I walked hand in hand to the guard meeting. Last night we had finally agreed to put the last piece of being completely together in place. It was incredible and I still felt light-hearted, almost giddy, from the mere thought of what we had done. I smiled at Alec as we took our place along the the throne room, getting a shy one in return.

Aro went about that meeting in his usual manner; assigning jobs and checkpoints, announcements and the like. I never thought it was odd that he didn't give Alec, Jane or I an assignment. I was too lost in my head.

"You are dismissed, except for Jane, Alec, Demetri and Raven." Aro's voice brought me back to reality. I looked at Alec, wanting to question him, but his features told me not to. The three of us approached the front as the others filed out silently behind us. When the ancient oak doors slammed shut, Aro beckoned Alec towards him. Hesitantly, he stepped forward, dropping my hand as he did so. Instantly, the room turned colder and a wave of anxiety washed over me. Jane and I exchanged an uneasy glance when Aro took Alec's hand; a usual gesture turned suspect. My body stiffened, watching Aro's expression change a thousand times.

"Thank you, Alec." Aro dropped Alec's hand and asked for Jane next. He led her behind the thrones, out of earshot. When they returned, Jane wore a stony expression, uncharacteristically pained even for her. Making eye contact with me, she mouthed something I didn't originally catch. The next second, Alec had collapsed to the ground, his muscles clenching from pain.

Demetri was holding me back, rendering me nearly paralyzed. I tired myself out, trying to wriggle from Demetri's grip. There was a pause as Alec's torture ended, then a searing pain shot through my spine, spreading out across my limbs. Demetri let me drop to my knees as I screamed uncontrollably. It couldn't have ended sooner; I fell onto my chest, gasping for air, the room going in and out of focus.

"Again, Jane." Caius drawled, his voice as unfeeling as ever. I looked up at Aro, a silent pleading look, but he avoided my eyes. He commanded Jane to repeat the torture, a threatening lilt to his normally cheerful tone. Jane stood frozen, her eyes downcast and fists clenched. This was as much of a test for her as it was for us.

"I can't," she murmured, her voice barely there. Aro eyed her curiously.

"Jane, listen to me." Aro's voice had an odd quality; stern and slightly parental. Jane glanced at him helplessly before closing her eyes, inhaling jaggedly. Then the blinding pain began again.

• • • • •

I stopped the memory there; it was too painful, too raw even now. I dropped Edward's hands and broke down, losing all control of the emotions I pretended to harbor: hate for my father and mother for something they couldn't have controlled, the anger towards anyone who defied my coven; even the love between Alec and I seemed fake in that moment of sheer defeat. I quickly tried to pull myself together, but failed.

Suddenly, I felt Edward wrap his arms around me, pulling me to his chest. For the first time in my life, I didn't fight him. In fact, I clung to my father like he was the one thing that held me back from the brink of insanity. I sobbed openly into his shirt, soaking it to his skin. Edward rubbed my back and stroked my hair, whispering small words of comfort. And in that instant, Edward became my father; not my worst enemy, not a threat to my lifestyle, and definitely not my constant attacker. He was my protector just as much as Alec was.

"Renesme, sweetie, I want you to know that I never stopped looking for you." He whispered, pushing me back to wipe away my stray tears. "Your mother, she didn't give up as easily as she comes off as. She kept me looking, if anything. You need to understand, honey, after nearly 27 years of constant searching, hope starts to dwindle. Do you know what I thought?"

I shook my head, sniffling like a toddler. Dad smiled at me.

"Everyone thought they'd killed you, but I disagreed. Look who was right after all?" He answered proudly. A watery grin broke across my face. "You are too interesting to him, too exotic..."

A silence filled the room. I snuggled back into dad's chest, feeling totally drained. I couldn't help my mind from wandering as I strayed into sleep. Gwyn and I braiding the circlets, Jane and I teasing Alec mercilessly, Felix deciding that dropping me into the fountain during the New Year's Eve ball 2030 would be a laugh. I knew dad saw them; they were meant for him. Showing someone else the memory the haunted Alec and my every move was freeing. I had this strange desire to show him every memory I possessed.

"Dad," I yawned, feeling sleep coming on fast.

"Yes, honey." Came his soft reply.

"I love you," I whispered, trying not to cry again. "Please forgive me..."

"I always will, sweetheart. Now go to sleep."

• • • • •

The next thing I knew, Alice was hovering over me, shaking me shoulder excitedly. Sitting up, I realised I was still in dad's room.

"Rise and shine, Renesme! I just finished your dress!" She said quickly. I smiled and followed her into her design room. I was actually excited for it.

• • • • •~

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey everyone!

Happy New Years! My family and I just got back home from a 10 hour long drive. Visiting family is part of the holidays, I know, but why do my relatives have to live so damn far away? Anyway, I wrote this the whole way back, just in time for New Years! No, I'm too tired for watching the ball drop. Never really can stay up till midnight anyway, ha ha...

This is a shorter chapter, but I hoped you enjoyed! Up next is gonna be my favorite scene that I have ever written. And it's a secret! So stay tuned.

If you want, you all can submit names for children. I'm toying with that idea, but I'd at least like some name help. If you want, you can also submit them to my blog and/or Facebook page, accessible through my profile :3 Happy 2012!

Carie Lea


	10. Reunion

**Disclaimer: I just recently had a chat with my good friend, Bailey, and she says that I don't own Twilight. And I think she's right…**

Chapter 10: Reunion

Immediately following the fitting session, Alice had sent out a letter to Aro, informing him of Alec and my engagement and also requesting to hold the ceremony in Italy. Of course, he replied almost as quickly, expressing his happiness, blessings, and a yes to the use of the castle. Aro even announced that he was holding an engagement party for us the day after we arrived. Alice was overjoyed, as was Esme; the others were a bit harder to read, except Isabella. One look at her gave away the contempt she had for the whole affair.

Well, it wasn't like we really cared.

So, exactly a week after Alec had proposed, we boarded a private plane to Italy. As per habit, Alec and I sat to the back of the plane. He read while I slept, another habit I'd formed over years of being dragged on missions in the dead of night. This time, it was harder to find sleep; my mind was consumed with thoughts. We were really going back and this time, we didn't necessarily plan on leaving again. It was relieving, knowing that we were about to be welcomed home by our family. I was also curious about the reaction of my sisters' reactions when the discovered Alice had made them all dresses for the party; Jane's in particular.

As soon as we had passed Mona, the newest secretary, Alec and I were nearly attacked by Demetri and Gwyn. Well, Demetri was dragged over by Gwyn, who can be quite persuasive in her own right, but seemed happy enough to see us.

"Don't you ever leave again, okay sis?" Gwyn exclaimed, enveloping me in a crushing hug. I laughed at her ranting about how boring it had been around the castle since we'd left and how Alec being gone had left her only Felix to tease.

"I missed you too, Gwynie." I smirked, ruffling her hair. I earned a look that screamed "watch it", but it just made the two of us burst out in fits of giggles. Somewhere over my shoulder, I heard Emmett ask Jasper what was going on. I could almost hear Jasper's eyes rolling.

"You really need to pay more attention, Emmett…" Jasper sighed. Just to end the inevitable argument, I introduced all of them to Gwyn, a bit more formally than before. Upon further inspection, Gwyn and Alice really did look like twins, to the point of ridiculousness.

I think Demetri had gotten tired of all the chatter and decided to step in. He asked Gwyn to lead Alec and I back to the dorms, then he led the Cullens off to be formally welcomed to the castle. The whole way to our rooms, Gwyn badgered us with questions about what the Cullen's were like, what we did, and how we like the Pacific coast. Apparently she'd done research.

We told her the truth; it wasn't the most exciting thing we'd ever done, and we'd never do it again. However, I wouldn't have traded it for the world. I'd always wondered who and what my family was like, even imagined them as a child. For a long time, they were a figment of my daydreaming, smiling and happy, always watching over me. Then, they turned cold, like evil personified and the devil incarnate. Then, Aro had taken me to them and literally threw me into Hell, but he had a reason. I'm still not sure what that reason was, but I finally understand my life, not matter how I wanted to run and avoid it like a plague.

* * *

><p>"I don't know how you survived it…" I glanced to my left. Jane had slid up next to me, a good natured smirk on her face. The party was in full swing; people dancing and talking. I had gotten tired of that, so I removed myself. Alec was still floating around somewhere; I think Felix or maybe Rhodes had dragged him off.<p>

"I asked myself that same question when I got home." I smiled. Alice had truly out done herself on the dresses; and Jane was even okay with hers. It was a deep plum colour with long, peasant cuffed sleeves and a scoop neck. She wore it like she owned the room; that air of confidence was something I'd always sort envied about Jane.

"I must say, I thought you two would absolute messes when you came back," she laughed. "I've only had the displeasure of interacting with the Cullens a few times, and I can only ever tolerate Carlisle."

"You didn't seem to have much of an issue with Alice," I replied slyly.

"Professional-grade acting, my friend," We both laughed a bit before a short silence settled on the two of us. I watched the couples dancing, entranced by the garden of dress colours. Heidi's was typical Heidi; deep ocean blue with a deep neckline. Gwyn's was a pretty shade of pale carnation pink, matching her personality perfectly. Corin's was a stark crimson red in a style like something Elizabeth Taylor would wear. Chelsea's silver stood out shockingly against Renata's sky blue.

I examined my own; a black, long sleeve number with an A-line skirt that fell just to my knees and a wide v-neck. The fabric Alice had used was overlain with a soft sheer fabric that added little spots of shine; when light caught it, firefly spots appeared on it. It was simple and unassuming; just perfect.

"So, when did Alec pop the question?" Jane asked, breaking the pause.

"On my birthday," I answered, watching her face. She smiled a bit.

"That's pretty typical… better late than never, right?"

"I guess…" I chewed on my lip, feeling Jane's eyes on me. "I didn't even remember when my birthday was until I walked downstairs to find the whole living room decked out. Courtesy of Alice,"

"Of course…" Jane exhaled, a thoughtful edge to her tone. She gazed back into the crowd with me. I finally found Alec; Felix, Demetri, and Santiago were bothering him, but he looked to be enjoying it. I guess he actually missed it, unconsciously. "Are you excited about it, Ren?"

"It's time," I breathed, my eyes still on Alec. "Why do you ask, Jane?" there was a pause and I saw her fidget a bit on the edge of my vision.

"I just…" her voice faltered and she turned completely towards me. I twisted my head to allow for eye contact. She looked strangely uncomfortable, something that never happened. "You two are so happy together. I don't know if I'm just not used to it or… Ren, I'll be honest with you; I don't like the idea of you getting married to my brother, but it's just an older sister's reaction, I guess. Maybe it's just that…" Jane's voice failed completely, but I understood what she wanted to say so badly.

"You still want him as close as you've always been…" I filled in for her. She nodded, giving me a sad smile. Returning the gesture, I grasped her hand. "Trust me, Jane; Alec and you have been through too much together, more than I can even imagine. So, you're kidding yourself if you think a gap would form between you. That will never happen; I swear as your somewhat-self-proclaimed sister."

Jane snickered, "Please don't say it that way, Ren. You're making it way too incest-y for me." A grin materialized on my face, but it wasn't enough to keep the two of us from doubling over in laughter. "Just make sure that you all come back from your honeymoon in less than 3 months, okay?"

"We didn't even plan one, so don't worry." I rolled my eyes. Jane raised an eyebrow.

"That's different…" she replied, pushing my shoulder in the direction of the dance floor. "Now, go dance before I employ Felix and Gwyn to help me force you two into enjoying yourselves" Stumbling as she gave me a true shove, I walked over to Alec, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked down at me and I smiled, suddenly feeling a bit shy. He gave me a kiss on the cheek, shooting Felix and Demetri a glare as they wolf whistled.

"Dance with me?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Why not," Alec placed a hand on the small of my back and led me to the edge of the dance floor.

As parties go, that one turned out spectacularly.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**He y'all! How are you since…yesterday?**

**I know, I've really never updated this quickly, but I had quite a bit of time today, so I thought: why not? (oh geez, now I quoting myself! Not good, not good…) **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed and thank you to those of you who have reviewed so far. I can't wait to see what the rest of you post :3 I'm drawing out sketches of the dresses as I see them, so look for that link on my profile (maybe in March, seeing how many school projects I still have to do- haha…)!**

**Thanks so much for the support and the best start to the new year ever!**

**Carie Lea**


	11. Always

**Disclaimer: Hey, yea still don't own Twilight, sorry! And sorry I haven't updated in so long (school projects and crap like that) … Don't kill me yet because, this is it. THE CHAPTER :3**

Chapter 11: Always

I wasn't the type of little girl that planned and had her dream wedding down to a science. However apprehensive I was about entrusting Alice with the task, the feeling dissipated with the sun that morning.

The dress was exactly how I wanted it; strapless and long, but easy to move in. I had no veil, the bouquets were of little purple flowers that she had arranged with Queen Anne's lace and bluebells, and the bridesmaid's dresses looked fabulous on Gwyn, Jane, Chelsea, and Heidi. They were a subtle blue-grey that matched the ocean.

"You look gorgeous, sis." Gwyn smiled as she finished placing a few of the purple flowers in the braid that ran across my head like a hair band.

"A long time coming, isn't it." I murmured, slipping on my engagement ring.

"I'm surprised you aren't hyperventilating." Gwyn remarked, straightening her dress in the mirror. "I was such a mess on my wedding day!"

"Oh, I remember..." I smirked, knowing that it was a piece of blackmail that I would always possess.

"Well, let's not keep everyone waiting!" Gwyn exclaimed and ushered me out of my room, muttering, "Not that we don't have all the time in the world." under her breath.

I laughed as we reached Jasper. He told me that I looked gorgeous and offered me an arm. Gwyn went on ahead of us, trailing behind Jane. Taking a deep breath, we started down the steps to the ocean front.

When everyone stood, I silently wished that I had a veil to hide my blush. Alec stood at the end of the aisle; smirking and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Jasper chuckled lightly as we reached the end.

Alice had decided that a seaside wedding was as simple and nontraditional as she could come up with. The alter was only a few feet from the water's edge, the waves lapping at the shore.

Aro began the ceremony, but neither of us was paying much attention. Holding each other's hands, passing on memories was easy. The time we took the rowboat out and toppled into the water; when there was a music festival in the main square and Alec took me dancing; all the times he'd sketch me as I would be talking; every time we would yell at one another. In other words, we had completely tuned the officials out.

"Excuse me," Aro said, smiling when we jumped. "Would you like me to repeat?" we nodded and he beckoned Felix over, who held our rings up. He passed one to me and Alec each.

"Now, Alec, your vows please." Aro said his tone amused.

"Raven, I -" Alec began, but he was cut off by the waves rolling past the alter and into the guest seats. Everyone jumped and ran for the stairs, but Alec and I stood still in our shocked. Looking down, I saw the hem of my dress swirling on top of the water and began laughing.

"Come on!" I tugged Alec by the sleeve of his tux into the surf. Something came over me and I splashed him, getting the entire front of Alec's tuxedo sopping wet. It took a few moments for the shocked expression to slide off his face and be replaced by a devious smirk. I was laughing hysterically as Alec chased me down the shoreline, finally pulling me back into the surf.

We were both soaking now; I could hear Alice grumbling about my dress being ruined, but put it out of my mind. Then it dawned on us that we had lost the wedding bands.

"We don't need them, love." Alec laughed, grabbing my hands. "Vows are all that's necessary."

"You go first then." I grinned, trying to stay standing in the surf. Controlling himself, Alec looked me in the eyes.

"I, Alec, promise to love every bit of you and never let you go, no matter your faults; no matter how you drive me mad. I promise that I'll always love you, Raven, till the end and longer." Alec spoke in the most sincere voice I'd ever heard. "Do you take me to be your husband?"

"I do." I took in a deep breath before starting. "I, Raven, promise to love you for a thousand years and a thousand more, despite your arrogance and hotheadedness. And I promise to never leave your side and to care for you always... Do you take me to be your wife."?

"Forever and always, love."

"For better, for worse."

"Till death do we part?" Alec smiled at me, looking just as breathless as I felt. I felt like I should be flying.

"Will you kiss the bride already?"

"Yea, Alec, go on and kiss her!" looking back at the shore, we saw Gwyn and Alice scolding Felix and Demetri. Laughing, Alec picked me up out of the ocean and kissed me, spinning me around. My arms hung limply around his neck as he held me close.

The kiss didn't feel any different than any other kiss we'd shared. I did feel a weight lift off my shoulders as I looked back at the shore; both my families smiling back at us. I felt a grin spread across my face, along with a slight burn in my cheeks.

Alec set me down and we ran back to the others. Aro motioned us to him.

"Just to make official," He smiled. "I now pronounce you man and wife. Congratulations you two." Aro held out an envelope to Alec. Opening it, Alec and I were shocked to find 2 tickets for La Isle Esme; we both looked up in surprise.

"Jane mentioned that you didn't plan for a honeymoon and Carlisle and Esme were happy to loan out their island for a week." Caius answered.

"Did you really think we'd let you return without having a vacation truly to yourselves?" Gwyn burst out, smiling broadly. I bit my lip and Alec grasped my hand.

"When do we leave?" he asked fishing through the envelope.

"Anytime today." Aro looked at the two of us in his normal, paternal way.

"Then why don't we get a move on?" I asked softly, squeezing Alec's hand. He nodded and touched my cheek; moving it away, I saw the charcoal tips.

"You have tracks." Alec whispered in my ear and I felt myself instantly redden.

"That's your fault," I smirked. "You're the one that pulled me down."

"Ah, that was because you splashed me, Ren." Alec looked triumphant.

"Retaliation is a child's game, darling. You should know better by now." I shot back, victory in my grasp.

"And so is pointless bickering, you two," Demetri sighed.

"And we suggest you get a move on before we have to drag you to the plane." Felix continued, rolling his eyes.

"So, please pack and leave us all in peace," Jane grinned, jumping into the game. "Especially you, Alec. I don't want to see you or Ren for a good 2 weeks, do you understand?"

"I second that!" Emmett exclaimed, only to be smacked down by Rosalie. Laughing at how our relatives acted like children, Alec pushed me towards the steps.

Now the fun can really begin, I thought, supremely thankful Alec wasn't touching me. Although, I swore I saw my father, Edward, cringe a bit before teasing Alice about something. Laughing out loud, I felt Alec's fingers intertwine in mine and the two of us ran up the staircase to the castle.

We were free and were going to take full advantage of it. I reminded myself to thank Jane later.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Hello there! Long time, no see… I believe a hug is in order, stat. **

**Well, I hope you enjoyed the scene. I want to thank my dear, dear friends Emmy and Luke for helping me design the whole wedding affair. I kid you not when I say we spent one whole weekend sketching out the setting and the dresses and flowers. The whole she-bang, literally! All over, video chat too! **

**In summary: rate, read, review, enjoy, and I'll see you all next chapter! Any suggestions for what they should do on their honeymoon would be amazing!**

**Carie Lea**


	12. An Overflow of Good

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight; Just Gwyn's wonderfulness and Rhodes' many silences… That is all.**

Chapter 12: An overflow of good

Our plane landed in Rio around 11 at night and even the end of September couldn't stave off the humidity. Stepping onto the tar-mat to make a dash for the car told me that the next was just going to be nasty.

On the Isle, something strange happened. Either, the humidity disappeared altogether or I was so distracted by all there was to see that essentially it did. The island was probably the land size of the Volturi compound, with a shore house nestled on the grass separating the soft, white beach sand from the dense, lush jungle. Colour was everywhere; blazing blue sky and a plethora of exotic flowers bursting with vibrancy. Everything else was a water-colour palate: modern and unassuming house, clear aquamarine water, and the smaller, wild flowers that ebbed around the edges and seeped into the landscape.

In short, Isle Esme was gorgeous. Not that it wouldn't be, but it exceeded expectations. According to Alec, I'd fallen asleep on the boat during our jaunt over. I denied this, knowing he was right. He was always right. As much as that irked me some days, most days it didn't. Living with Alec since very early childhood instilled in me this truth: I did not know everything and neither did Alec, but he knew considerably more than me.

Either way, the next morning was nice. Very nice.

It was at least lunch before I decided to leave the bedroom. After a quick shower, I threw on a tee shirt and padded out to the kitchen. I usually didn't like human food, but coffee was good when I didn't want anything else. The coffee in the kitchen was the good stuff too, dark and rich. My cup brewed and I scrunched my hair up in a messy bun. Rest assured, I wasn't going for super attractive today.

The afternoon was warm, but with a nice breeze that wafted off the waves. The sky was a periwinkle blue with sheer swathes of clouds dashed here and there. I found Alec on the beach, laying with his eyes closed to the world.

"What are looking to hear?" I asked softly, taking a sip of the coffee. Alec opened his eyes and smiled up at me. He patted next to him, asking me to sit. Resting on the sand, I leaned over and gave him a kiss. I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder, fingers threading in my hair. Then I felt my hair drop.

"Don't put your hair up," Alec said. "It doesn't curl as nicely when you do,"

"And you like my curls?" I smirked.

"Always have," He ruffled my hair. Some of the strands fell on my nose, cheeks, and eyes. Alec beamed, appearing proud of himself. "You, my dear, look beautiful,"

I spit some of my hair out of my mouth. "I look ridiculous,"

"Ridiculously beautiful, usignolo. Now, what should we do?"

"Nothing," I grinned.

"Perfect." Alec replied, laying back down in the sand. My knees curled up and I rested the mug on the tops, watching the waves and hours roll by. When I had finished the coffee, I set the mug in the sand and lay down. Alec pulled me to him and played with my hair, making some comment about everyone "needing a good bit of sand". I just shook my head.

So, Alec and I spent the next four days doing absolutely nothing important. We explored the jungle and found a little pool with a waterfall. Jumping off the top of the waterfall into the deep, clear pool was the highlight of the day; Alec couldn't stop laughing at me. One night, Alec found a wind up radio. We spent three hours tinkering with it until we got a signal. It was for old music, our favorite. The rest of the evening consisted of dancing to big band and jazz music with a side of misbehaving.

The morning of our last day there, we laid there in the sheets for what felt like an eternity. The first night, I had felt the discomfort creep up. I was going to let him see me in my underwear and otherwise for the first time in 40 years. That feeling was no more and it was a good feeling. Not having to worry about anything anymore. I pressed my face up into Alec's neck, kissing lightly on the spots I'd bitten at the night before. My fingers trailed over his chest and I was overcome with the desire to never leave that bed. The sun lightened and warmed my skin, feeling like the warmest embrace.

"Ren…" Alec whispered, toying with my fingers.

"Hmm…?"

"What should we do? I mean about your family and…" He seemed at a loss words. I rolled over and propped myself up on my forearms. I eyed Alec, daring him to choose his next words carefully. "Don't give me that me that, usignolo. We have to make a decision before we get back!"

"Who said?" I challenged.

"Aro, Caius, Marcus, Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Isabella, Heidi; I could go on," He replied, suddenly serious. I felt my heart drop in the realization. So many people depended on our decision; it felt like we held the weight of the world in our palms. Frankly, it was a sucky feeling.

"What would you do?" I asked, honestly.

"Honestly?" I nodded, watching his reaction closely. "Knowing what I know about my parents, I'd pick Aro any day… Ren, your parents are good people. Your family, no matter how aggravating, are good people… It's really a toss up,"

"You are not helping!" I growled, sliding out of bed and into the bathroom. I threw on a kimono and turned around to see Alec, laying on his back, palms covering his face in annoyance. "What?"

"Felix was right," Alec muttered. "When you marry the woman you love, they suddenly become very, very, irritating,"

"Glad I'm appreciated," I rolled my eyes. An awkward silence settled for a few minutes. I began playing with the ends of my hair, cursing Heidi for trimming it the day of the wedding; I had no split ends to pick at. Swallowing hard, I stepped back into the room. "We should just stay… I mean, Jane is your sister and Aro is like a father to you… and Gwyn is my sister. I grew up there,"

"It's more meaningful than Forks is what you're saying," Alec asked, sitting up. Hesitating for a moment, I eventually nodded. He nodded back, looking perplexed. As long as I'd known him, Alec was still a case to figure out. You'd think you were nearly there, only to realize you aren't even muscle deep. It's a strange thought for someone who has all the time in the world.

"Well, what should we do?" I asked, staring at the floor.

"I think we should go swimming. In the ocean today; don't want to exhaust the waterfall yet," Slowly raising from the bed, he walked over to me and pulled me close. He picked me up easily and we stayed like that for a long time - hugging.

Sooner or later, Alec and I separated. I pulled on a modest grey bikini and a green tee-shirt of Alec's. We raced to the beach and spent our last day underwater, fish of many colours darting around us in aquamarine water.

And it was beautiful.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Hey you guys! I want to apologize to you all who have followed this hot mess from the beginning for not updating soon enough. For those of you reading for the first time: Thank you for joining us! I hope you have enjoyed so far! <strong>

**As an explanation for my update's tardiness, I've currently been working with someone on a few projects. One is a legitimate book, the other is a graphic novel my friend's and I are doing for a school project. The project is to write a story in any way you want, then make a movie trailer for it. Our summer will consist of making the whole entire movie!**

**Welp, nice to see you all again! Hope to update very soon. Until then, enjoy the coming nice weather!**

**Carie Lea**


	13. The Return

**Author's note: Hey all! I'm so sorry I haven't updated at all since… I dunno, forever? If someone has a date, please post in the comments – I'd love to know. Anyway, life is hectic but we've hit break which (at least to me) is UPDATE SEASON! I will do my best, so without further ado – chapter 13 of Raven.**

Chapter 13: The Return

When Alec and I returned to Volterra that evening, we approached the masters with our decision. Of course, they welcomed us happily – arms open with affections of "son" and "daughter". Felix was ecstatic, as was Heidi, Corin, and Renata. Jane and Demetri were overjoyed, but in their own subdued ways. I didn't ask Alec how he the number for my family's home, but still asked for him to ring them. Carlisle picked up and took the news with undetectable disappointment. I took a smug sort of pride in knowing that Isabella would likely have a tantrum – about what, she didn't know, but she knew it would happen.

Alec stared at me from the driver's seat. I wasn't going to agree to this, no matter how many times he gave me that look. The one he used to use on me as a child; sweet and caring, that look was the one that could get me to do anything. Alec knew that and, in my opinion, abused power. I was twisted so far up in my seat, just to keep from meeting my husband's maroon gaze, that I had crossed the ridiculous line many times over. My teeth were clamped onto my bottom lip hard to stifle laughter bubbling up.

"Are you sure you aren't going to come in? We did come for you and-,"

"Don't start with me, Alec. Not today," I said, voice straining under the laughter. I could almost hear Alec's grin widening, but I didn't turn until I heard the car door shut. My head snapped around, eyeing the empty seat beside me. The car went absolutely silent and it was really wigging me out. I began to laugh nervously, curling my knees to my chest and worrying my sweater sleeve.

"Very funny, Alec, now come ambush me already," I called, sarcastic and shaky. He was going to appear right out of nowhere and scare the ever-living wits out of me. And then I might have to comply with him.

"If you insist, usignolo," Alec appeared at my side, the passenger door wide open. "But, you don't have to come with me," I let out the breath I'd been holding, comfort finding me too soon. Suddenly, he pulled me from the cabin and flung me over his shoulder. It wasn't until I saw he was ascending the steps to the house did I register what was happening.

"Seriously? Please, Alec, please? Let's not and say we did, okay. I can fabricate a few good memories! Aro won't know the difference l, so maybe we can catch a flight to New York or maybe even London! Barcelona is probably very pretty this time of year, and wouldn't you rather not be damp?" I began spitting out any excuse I could. Not this, anything but this. Id already done Aro a cavorted 13 months ago; couldn't he be happy with that?

"Renesme, calm down. It'll be alright, but only if you aren't a ball of nerves," he replied with a laugh, setting me down in front to the door. He kept a good hold on my arm; I wasn't going to even attempt escape because he'd catch me and the second time would doubly humiliating. I resorted to pouting like a child as Alec rang the doorbell.

"Some husband you are... really supportive," I grumbled. Alec just shook his head, chuckling at my teasing tries to reclaim control over my wrist. It was only another second before the door opened revealing Jasper, looking confused. I smiled meekly, embarrassed. My uncle smiled warmly, shaking Alec's hand before inviting us inside and leading us upstairs where the kitchen was.

"Guess who decided to drop in everyone," he strode into the eerily quiet room. Almost in sync, they all turned from their books and computers to stare at us, wide eyed. I smiled shyly and gave a quick way, awkwardness in every fiber of the scene.

"You came to visit," dad grinned. Mum looked surprised, like she had expected Alec and I to go back on our word.

"Oh, ye of little faith!" Alice chirped, moving to embrace the two of us. "Of course they would come and see us. Did none of you hear about the visions, or did Jasper not tell you?" Given the strained pause in the air, I took that Jasper had not told the rest of the family. I snickered a little bit at his mildly blank expression.

"Why don't we put that aside for now?" Esme intervened perfectly, waving at us from the couch next to Carlisle. "What took you all so long?" She gestured for us to sit down, and we took a seat on the chaise lounge.

"Aro had you both all over the place, didn't he?" Carlisle answered for us. I nodded and leaned into Alec.

"Of course; there was a rogue nomad in Scandinavia," Alec explained. "Nothing too serious, but just enough to cause a little bit of panic. All the superstition and mythology up there. You'd know better than all of us, Carlisle," My grandfather laughed, giving me a warn smile. It was nice to know that my family hadn't taken oftenest or held a grudge over our decision. When I first met them, I was astounded at their ability to move on and even hated them for it. Now, "forgive and forget" was a comforting motto.

"Its been pretty quiet lately," I added. "No trials or major conflicts, so, we've been pretty bored since the Scandinavian issue... and a change of scenery is always nice," there was another pause. We were all getting used to each other again, so the unease was less skin crawling than before.

"Um... how long are you going to be around?" Alice said softly, a sort of sadness creeping into her features at the thought we might leave again. Alec and I glanced at each other. Placing my hand on his, I sent him an apology for earlier and gave him the choice.

"We were thinking 2 weeks," He answered, playing with my fingers like he does when he's uncomfortable. "Renesme was talking about spending a week in London before Demetri decides to hunt us down," Alice nodded and my eyes flickered over to my parents; dad had an odd, perplexed look. He looked at me and I shot him a face that said "what?".

"Since when have you been going by Renesme?" He asked, hesitating.

"For about 6 months now... I guess I got used to it while I was here, but I still answer to Raven," I adjusted to get a good scan of everyone. Rosalie and Emmett hurdled together in a chair, mum and dad at the love seat, and Alice playing with Jasper's hair as she sat on the kitchen counter. "There hasn't been a lot of confusion, so I think I just might keep it."

"Alright, enough of the deep family reunion stuff; I want to take my niece shopping whether she likes it or not," Alice declared, hooping down from her perch and marching over to me. It must of been "Lets Pull Ren Around Like A Ragdoll Day" because suddenly, I was being dragged over to the door. "As cute as she looks, its a little to casual for my tastes. Rose are you in?"

Grudgingly, Rosalie stood up and rescued me from Alice's constrictor grip. "I'm in. Bella, I take it you'll stay here?" Mum nodded. Rosalie patted my shoulder and ushered me to Alice's canary yellow Porsche. Normally, I would've been resisting l, kicking and screaming. Even though Id spent all day in Alec and my rented black Lincoln town car, I let them take me. It'd been a year since I'd been forced to decide where my allegiance lay and, crazy as it may seem, I missed the eclectic family in the woods of Washington.

**Author's Note pt. 2: Sorry to say it folks, but that's it. This is a quick sort of wrap up. It wasn't supposed to end up this way, but y'know how you get writing and things just unfurl… Well, that's what happened here. I am working on a tangent project of Raven's memories so look ahead to that. Thank you for the positive support, but I will let you all yell at me from the comment section – just this once and only on this chapter! Do you solemnly swear? Yes? **

**Thank you and see y'all on the next story :D Carie**


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